Internships

We are currently accepting remote applications for the Spring 2021 semester! 

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 career. 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 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

Potential internship opportunities & responsibilities include

• Education
  • Facilitate digital docent tours
  • Develop education materials and digital museum resources
• Public Programs
  • Provide online event support for public programs
  • Help plan & promote online program
• Collections
  • 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
• Communications & Design
  • Maintain CHSA’s communication channels (social media & newsletters)
  • Work on the Chinese American Anniversary Dates design project
  • Manage CHSA’s Community Connections blog series
• Development
  • Assist the Development team with researching and applying for grant opportunities
  • Maintain donor and operations databases 
  • Provide general administrative support including generating reports

Interested in interning for CHSA, but don’t see one that showcases your talents? Send us a cover letter with a proposal of how you could learn from CHSA and what skills you have to offer.

How to Apply-please read carefully before submitting

• Send an email to info@chsa.org
• Subject line: Department 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(s) you are applying for & relevant experience
    • Your interest in CHSA’s and its mission
    • Proposed Schedule (how many weeks, hours, etc.)
    • Potential learning and professional objectives while interning at CHSA
  • 1 short writing sample and an 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.