Seattle Art Museum Family Programs Internship

Internship Term: Summer Quarter 2025
Applications Due Date: April 23, 2025
Position Start Date: June 9, 2025
Position End Date: August 1, 2025

TITLE: Family Programs Intern
DEPARTMENT/LOCATION: Education Department
STAFF MENTOR: Museum Educator for Family Programs

OVERVIEW

Seattle Art Museum connects art to life. SAM strives for its employees, volunteers, and interns to reflect the community in which it exists. Our internships are intended to open career pathways for individuals who bring dynamic backgrounds and perspectives to their work in art, museums, or community engagement.

The Family Programs Intern is a member of SAM’s Education department. This intern will assist program staff to provide meaningful, hands-on experiences for children and families. They will help develop programming for SAM Camp, act as camp assistants, research and evaluate family resources at the museum, and offer programmatic support for children and families at the museum.

There will be one opening for Family Programs interns this summer.

FLSA Status: Temporary, Non-Exempt

Compensation: $20.77 per hour

Benefits: SAM Interns have access to an onsite fitness facility and SAM’s museum library, can access a no-cost Employee Assistance Program resource, enjoy a 20% discount at the SAM Museum Shop and a 10% discount at SAM’s MARKET cafe, as well as member rates for ticketed events at SAM, receive 2 SAM guest passes per quarter worked, have a Tier III membership to the American Alliance of Museums, can access 8 Home Free Guarantee cab rides home per year, can opt into a 50% subsidized unlimited Orca card, and accrue paid sick leave at a rate of .0385 per hour worked.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This internship offers an opportunity to develop a greater understanding of education programs at the Seattle Art Museum. In addition to gaining hands-on experience with families and visitors, this internship will provide an opportunity to evaluate museum programming and collaborate with museum staff to deliver an engaging, public-facing experience.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT:

20-40 hours per week, for 8 weeks from June 9 – August 1.

Before SAM Camp: June 9 – July 4 (Part-time 20 hours, Monday - Friday)

During SAM Camp: July 7 - July 25 (40 hours, Monday - Friday, 8 am – 4 pm)

After SAM Camp: July 28 – August 1 (Part-time 20 hours, Monday - Friday)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assist the program staff in preparing for SAM Camp art studio sessions by setting up supplies and helping with breakdown after activities.
• Provide encouragement and meaningful responses to campers as they learn and play.
• Assist in supervision of campers during activity breaks and playtime. This includes positive behavior management.
• Assist in administrative tasks involving supplies, registration, and trainings prior to the beginning of SAM Camp and after SAM Camp has ended.
• Research, develop and evaluate resources for family audiences visiting the museum.
• Attend Enrichment Sessions and other professional development activities for interns.
• Abide by the Standards for Museum Volunteers/Interns as outlined in the Volunteer/Intern Packet.
• Support the Education Department on related family programming as needed.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• High school graduate, GED, or equivalent education is required.
• Experience working with children in an educational setting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and the internet.
• Interest in education, art, and/or museums. 
• Ability to work efficiently and prioritize tasks. 
• Ability to work independently on projects and as a team member for department priority tasks and group projects. 
• Ability to represent the Museum with a high level of integrity and professionalism. 
• Ability to adhere to Museum policies and support management decisions in a positive, professional manner.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Exposure: Work areas are primarily inside, in a climate-controlled environment with light background noise. Work is occasionally performed at other indoor and outdoor sites.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES REQUIRED FOR ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Stationary Work: Approximately 80% of time is spent stationary while working at a desk. Balance of time (approximately 20%) is spent moving around the work area. Occasional extended periods of standing may be required when assisting at Museum events.

Communication: Clear and effective communication with volunteers, donors, members, the public, and co-workers is necessary.

Moving: The ability to move up to twenty pounds on occasion is necessary for moving files, equipment, and supplies. Must be able to regularly position self to access files.

Office Work: Ability to effectively and regularly operate a computer, keyboard, and other office productivity machinery, such as copy machines and printers, and ability to inspect, prepare, and use paperwork, files, equipment, and supplies is necessary.

APPLICATION PROCESS (DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: APRIL 23 AT 5 PM)

Applications are only accepted via the online form on SAM’s Careers page at https://seattleartmuseum.applytojob.com/apply.

Each application should include:

• Application Form (completed online)
• A Personal Statement of no more than 500 words detailing:
  • How your personal background or academic/professional experiences inform your perspective on education and learning in museums, community, and the arts.
  • How questions of equity and inclusion shape your personal and professional goals.
  • What you hope to gain from this experience and how it might enhance your education and career plans.
  • How you consider yourself as meeting the specific criteria set out in the job description for this internship.
• Resume, which describes experiences you believe are relevant to this internship and your professional goals. This may include professional experience, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, community service, and academic projects.
• At least one Letter of Recommendation, ideally from a teacher, supervisor, or mentor. References should be emailed directly to [email protected], with the applicant name noted in the Subject line.

For additional information or to request reasonable accommodations for the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at (206) 654-3188 or [email protected]

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Celebrating difference. At Seattle Art Museum, our members, visitors, and local community come from all walks of life, and so do our employees, volunteers, and interns. The plurality of our identities and experiences strengthens our mission: connecting art to life. Our mission and vision call us to be responsive to a multitude of cultural contexts and lived experiences, and as such, our Strategic Plan directly addresses the role art plays in empowering and elevating social justice movements, and promoting structural change to further equity in our society. SAM is particularly dedicated to racial equity in the workplace, because we know that people of color are the most impacted when it comes to both historical and present inequities. We know that equity is not a single fixed destination, it’s ongoing reckoning. As SAM continually strives to be a more inclusive and equitable workplace, we are particularly interested in engaging with those who have been historically underrepresented in the museum field. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace, and a sense of belonging for each and every employee, because we know our organization is at its best when we celebrate difference.

SAM is an equal opportunity employer. We are an equal opportunity employer, and consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. If you need assistance applying for a role due to a disability or additional need, please let us know at hr@seattleartmuseum.org. The Seattle Art Museum will consider reasonable accommodations for all employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions/duties of the role. If you need an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact hr@seattleartmuseum.org. For candidates, we ask that, if possible, you wait until you're invited to a screen, online technical assessment or interview before requesting an accommodation.

We encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace, and a sense of belonging for each and every employee, because we know our organization is at its best when we include, celebrate and embrace difference. We encourage you to submit an application, even if your experience doesn’t feel like a 100% match with the position. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, and research tells us that womxn and folks of color are less likely to apply if they don't see themselves meeting or exceeding every single qualification listed. We encourage you to apply, even if you feel unsure about whether you meet every requirement in this job post. You could very well be a great fit for this role or others.

Requirements for employment. In order to be employed by the Seattle Art Museum, you must reside in the state of Washington. Employment at SAM is contingent upon successful clearing and maintenance of clearance in both a federal and state criminal background check.

Want to learn more? If you haven't already, check out our Careers page for more on working at SAM.

Though we'd love to be able to reply to every question that crosses our desk, due to the high volume of applications we receive, our HR team is unfortunately unable to offer a response to inquiries requesting search status updates, inquiries about hiring timeline, or requests to be put in touch with directly with the Hiring Team. If your experiences and capabilities are well suited to an open role, our Recruiter or the Hiring Manager will reach out directly to schedule an interview. Thanks for your understanding!