Internship Program
The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey offers internships in both its collection management and oral history programs. This is an unpaid Internship program. Internships are available to qualified undergraduate and graduate students who are required to work 112 hours (approximately 8 hours per week) at the museum headquarters in Sea Girt. An intensive work and education experience, critical analysis and good writing skills are essential.
The museum’s programmatic objectives are flexible enough to encourage the creation of projects tailored to students’ interests and needs, while also allowing for a challenging experience and effective results that may be measured by standards of traditional scholarship. Included are opportunities to develop and engage in veteran oral history projects, state history, military history, and local and cultural history. Under the supervision of the curatorial staff, there is also the opportunity to engage in curriculum development projects.
Collection Management Internship
The museum’s permanent collection and archives offer scholars interested in military history excellent opportunities for research and professional development. Internship projects are matched to the museum’s needs and priorities and the intern’s interest and schedule. Under the supervision of Assistant Curator Joseph Bilby, interns participate fully as collection staff members and are responsible for conducting research, assisting with correspondence, inventorying specific objects, collection care, cataloguing, and participating in the design and installation of exhibits.
Oral History Internship
Through its Center for U.S. War Veterans’ Oral Histories and partnership with the Library of Congress, the museum offers qualified students the opportunity to gain an understanding of oral history collection and ultimately conduct independent veteran interviews. Under the supervision of Assistant Curator Carol Fowler, the intern will assist with correspondence, research unit histories, prepare questions, support and conduct interviews, prepare transcripts, and create summaries.
Internships are also available in the fields of Special Events, Public Relations, and Graphic Arts. Applications will be considered and accepted based on staff availability and museum schedules.
Expectations
- Assist the Veterans Oral History Program director before, during, and after interviews.
- Assist museum staff in preparation for and during group tours.
- Assist museum staff in preparation for and during events.
- Observe and perform tasks related to collections management and artifact conservation.
- Observe and perform tasks related to exhibit development and display of artifacts.
- Produce own work and show potential for future growth.
- Provide own travel to and from the museum, events, and as needed by museum staff.
- Provide appropriate documentation of enrollment in a credit-bearing course and support from a faculty supervisor of an accredited academic institution.
- Complete the requisite number of hours necessary for academic credit.
How to Apply
Individuals interested in pursuing an internship can apply using our online application.
February 8,1862
The Ninth New Jersey Infantry became the first New Jersey unit engaged in a full scale battle in the Civil War. At Roanoke Island, North Carolina, the regiment charged through a swamp, gaining the nickname “Jersey Muskrats.”
February 1, 1777
A British force skirmished with New Jersey militiamen at Drake’s Farm, near Springfield, as the “forage war” between the British seeking supplies in the countryside and the local militia heated up.
February 8, 1777
The Forage War continued as New Jersey militia attacked a British force gathering supplies in Quibbletown, today the New Market section of Piscataway Township.
