We are no longer accepting applications for the Spring 2021 semester. If you have submitted an application and have not heard from CHSA, please contact us about your application status.
The Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) internship program provides work experience in the oldest organization dedicated to the interpretation, promotion, and preservation of the social, cultural and political history and contributions of the Chinese in America. CHSA seeks dedicated students of all backgrounds who are interested in learning more about Chinese American history, cultural organizations, and/or community building.
The objective of the CHSA internship program is to provide students with experience and opportunities to learn more about Chinese American history and the museum field. The internship program is offered to full-time and part-time students. CHSA internships will enhance the academic and professional lives of its intern through hands-on experience and educational activities. The end goal of our internship program is to provide students not only with experience but a project that they can highlight throughout their academic careers. Past projects have included developing a public program, researching new exhibits, designing content for social media, and creating new online materials for educational purposes.
Interested candidates may apply to a select department where they will assist professional staff, catalog objects, interact with the public, work events, and learn about Chinese American history. Interns will acquire training, skills, and experience along with the opportunity to build their professional network.
Highlights of our internship program
- Individual project to highlight at the end of the internship program
- Insights into how a community-based non-profit museum operates
- Opportunities to interact with community members and leaders
- Interaction with museum department heads
- Discount in the museum gift store
- Free admission to the museum and programs
All applicants must be able to demonstrate
- Excellent communication, organizational skills, and ability to pay attention to detail
- Personal interest in Chinese American, Asian American, and immigration history
- Dedication to museum education, collection preservation, and history
- Access to a personal laptop or computer will be needed for remote internships
- Chinese proficiency (oral and written), or proficiency is a second language, is a plus
At the end of the program, each intern will have
- Developed one project for their assigned department
- Participated in one community program & supported a monthly program
- Contributed one submission to the CHSA blog
- Gained skills and experience to apply to real-world experiences
CHSA departments and project overviews:
Development-support CHSA’s development team and fundraising efforts through
- Assisting the Development team with researching and applying for grant opportunities
- Maintaining donor and operations databases
- Providing general administrative support including generating reports
Communications-learn about social media and messaging strategies. Responsibilities include:
- Maintaining CHSA’s communication channels on a regular basis
- Creating social media toolkits to promote upcoming CHSA programs
- Drafting CHSA’s weekly and members newsletters
Public Programs-learn about program planning and project management by
- Providing online event support for public programs and managing programs
- Contacting program presenters about updates to upcoming programs
- Creating program timelines to prepare for future events
Collection-work with CHSA’s online collection database and share with the public. Responsibilities include:
- Create a digital strategy for sharing the CHSA collection
- Enter records into the collections management database, Catalogit
- Learn how to manage a collection
Research-Support the upcoming Chinese in the Richmond exhibit through
- Independent research (qualitative and quantitative)
- Transcription and interpretation
- Content analysis
Anniversary Dates Project-research and design infographics for this upcoming social media campaign. This project allows interns to develop research and design skills. Responsibilities include:
- Researching historical dates in Chinese American history
- Using Canva to create social media infographics
- Working with CHSA volunteers to complete this project
Additionally, the Chinese Historical Society of America is developing the We Are Bruce Lee exhibition. The Bruce Lee Project Team is seeking 3 Spring 2021 Interns to help with the planning and development. Please review the position descriptions:
- Research-conduct research for the upcoming We Are Bruce Lee exhibition that will help create the narrative for the exhibition. Responsibilities will include:
- Identifying quality resources for research
- Reading through and process large quantities of information
- Extracting themes related to the We Are Bruce Lee exhibition
- Marketing-work with the We Are Bruce Lee development team to create a marketing strategy for the exhibition. Responsibilities will include:
- Crafting communication messages with the development team
- Design visual assets
- Developing a marketing (social media) strategy promoting the exhibition
- Development-manage donations and identify grant opportunities for the We are Bruce Lee exhibition. Responsibilities will include:
- Managing donations using Salesforce
- Identifying grant opportunities for the development of We are Bruce Lee
- Writing grant proposals for the exhibition
How to Apply
- Send an email to info@chsa.org
- Subject line: [Department/Project] Internship-First Name Last Name
- Include the following information in your application packet:
- A resume that includes relevant work experience
- Cover Letter stating
- Which department you are applying for & relevant experience
- Your interest in CHSA’s and its mission
- Potential learning and professional objectives while interning at CHSA
- Proposed Internship Schedule (please note, most staff work Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
- Duration of Internship (State/End Dates)
- Working Hours per Week
- Tentative Availability
- 1 short, relevant writing sample (5-page maximum)
- Online link to portfolio (if applicable)
- Availability for a video interview (please include 2-3 dates and time frames)
- Save application packet in a single PDF as First Initial.Last Name
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please review the application steps carefully before submitting your application.
Have more questions? Check out our frequently asked questions or contact info@chsa.org.
