Employment and Volunteering at the Nantucket Historical Association

Employment Opportunities

The Nantucket Historical Association is an equal opportunity employer.

There are no employment opportunities at this time.

Internship Opportunities

The Nantucket Historical Association’s summer internship program allows a dynamic group of students with varied interests, strengths, and goals to immerse themselves in an outstanding educational and professional environment. Interns learn and work directly with professionals in a team-based, collaborative environment. The internship is a full-time position that begins on June 4, 2012, and lasts ten to twelve weeks.

View full description of the internship program (pdf)

Applications due: February 1, 2012.
Compensation: $2,500 stipend and housing ($1,500 for Collections and Curatorial Interns)

Please send a letter of interest, clearly identifying area(s) of work interest by preference, résumé, and a list of three references to:

Rebecca Miller
Assistant to the Executive Director
Nantucket Historical Association
PO Box 1016
Nantucket, MA 02554

Interns will concentrate their work in one of the following four areas:

Interpretation & Education

The position of Museum Education Intern at the Nantucket Historical Association specializes in facilitating innovative programs and informal learning opportunities for museum visitors of all ages at NHA historic sites and the Whaling Museum. The Intern will participate in the production and execution of activities and/or materials for the Nantucket Historical Association’s Interpretation and Education Department. This will involve working with the public (museum members, visitors, and program participants). In addition, the Intern will interact with other education and museum staff and be exposed to the on-going tasks of the NHA’s Interpretation and Education Department.

Interpretation and Education Programs: Each intern will facilitate hands-on activities, demonstrations and tours for visitors of all ages. These programs include Discovery Room programs held in our dedicated space for intergenerational learning in the Whaling Museum and artifact and activity stations in museum galleries focusing on NHA collections.
Individual Project: During the course of the internship, each intern will be required to complete an individual project, from conception to final product, which will be used to enhance the educational offerings available to the public. Projects are selected based on the needs of the institution and the skills and goals of the intern. This will also be a great accomplishment for the interns to add to their professional portfolio.

Outreach & Special Programs

The position of Outreach and Special Programs Intern at the Nantucket Historical Association specializes in assisting in the production of public programs and special initiatives for museum visitors of all ages at various NHA historic sites and the Whaling Museum. The Intern will participate in the production and execution of activities and/or materials for the Nantucket Historical Association’s Outreach and Special Programs Department. This will involve working with the public (museum members, visitors, and program participants) and the Nantucket community. In addition, the Intern will interact with all museum staff and be exposed to the on-going tasks of the NHA’s Outreach and Special Programs Department. In collaboration with the Outreach and Public Programs Coordinator and the Director of Outreach and Special Programs, the intern will focus his/her time on the following:

Daily Activities of the Outreach and Special Programs Department: When appropriate, the intern will also assist in the planning and facilitation of a broad assortment of public programs – including lectures, concerts, family events – expanding and bolstering his/her experience in museum programming.
Individual Project: During the course of the internship, each intern will be required to complete an individual project, from conception to final product, which will be used to enhance the educational offerings available to the public. This will also be a great professional component, which interns may wish to add to their portfolio.

Collections & Curatorial

The position of Curatorial Intern at the Nantucket Historical Association specializes in assisting the ongoing collections needs and projects of the curatorial department. The curatorial intern will work with artifact collections at the Gosnold Collections Storage facility with periodic visits to the NHA Research Library on Fair Street. Some curatorial internships may have a more specific focus, as determined by the chief curator in discussion with the intern. Collections & Curatorial Interns will be paid a $1500 stipend due to the fact that it is usually shorter than the ten to twelve week internships, as determined by the chief curator in discussion with the intern.

Historic Gardens

The Garden Intern at the NHA supports the Landscape operations of the Maintenance and Grounds team by assisting with regularly scheduled garden maintenance work, conducting garden tours, and participating in ongoing planning for further development of the outdoor spaces at the Whaling Museum and Historic Sites.

Garden Maintenance: Duties include watering, weeding, planting, pruning, etc., at the Whaling Museum, Hadwen House, 1800 House, Macy Christian House, and Oldest House.

Garden Tours: The Garden intern will assist with tours at the Oldest House kitchen garden and the Greater Light garden, which are given periodically during the summer months.

Development of Landscapes and Gardens: The outdoor spaces at NHA properties are varied with regard to function (practical, aesthetic, interpretive/educational), and degree of development. The Maintenance and Grounds team continually explores options and opportunities for the improvement of these spaces and their functions, and the Garden Intern is encouraged to participate in this informal process throughout the summer.

Individual Project: The intern is required to complete an individual project from conception to final product. The type of project undertaken will vary according to the intern’s particular area of interest (from design to historical research to ideas for improved interpretive/educational use of NHA gardens).

Fellowship Opportunities

E. Geoffrey and Elizabeth Thayer Verney Fellowship

Volunteer Opportunities

The Nantucket Historical Association has many jobs for volunteers

To fill out the GENERAL VOLUNTEER FORM, click here. (PDF file). Please fax it to us at 508-228-5618, drop off at 15 Broad Street, or mail to P.O. Box 1016 Nantucket, MA 02554.

The RESEARCH LIBRARY offers a booklet describing volunteer activities in detail. To view the volunteer booklet, please click here (PDF file). If you're interested, please fax or drop off the form to us, or send us an email.