[Summer 2026] Education - Interpretation and Teaching Strategies
New York, NY
Internship
Student (College)
The Whitney’s summer internship program is a full-time, paid, nine-week session primarily for undergraduate students. The program includes training, direct work experience, professional development, and a weekly speaker series. The 2026 Summer internship will be hybrid, meaning interns will work onsite at least three days per week. The program will begin on Monday, June 1, and end on Friday, July 31. Participants must be available Monday through Friday for nine consecutive weeks, five days per week.
The application window for our Summer 2026 Hearst Family Internship is now open through Friday, January 16th. Please note that all candidates will be considered on a rolling basis, and as such, some opportunities may close before the deadline.
The Whitney seeks an Education - Interpretation and Teaching Strategies intern for Summer 2026. To view all Internship opportunities and to learn more about The Whitney's offerings, please refer to our Internships Page.
Expected Projects & Assignments
The Interpretation and Educational Content department is responsible for developing pedagogical approaches to help audiences understand the work on view through a variety of interpretive materials and visitor engagement, including wall labels, audio and multimedia guides, web content and videos, access programs and resources, and educator-led tours and programs.
The Interpretation and Education Content intern will:
Skills & Qualifications
Outcomes
Compensation
If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.
About the Whitney:
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
EEO Statement:
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.
The application window for our Summer 2026 Hearst Family Internship is now open through Friday, January 16th. Please note that all candidates will be considered on a rolling basis, and as such, some opportunities may close before the deadline.
The Whitney seeks an Education - Interpretation and Teaching Strategies intern for Summer 2026. To view all Internship opportunities and to learn more about The Whitney's offerings, please refer to our Internships Page.
Expected Projects & Assignments
The Interpretation and Educational Content department is responsible for developing pedagogical approaches to help audiences understand the work on view through a variety of interpretive materials and visitor engagement, including wall labels, audio and multimedia guides, web content and videos, access programs and resources, and educator-led tours and programs.
The Interpretation and Education Content intern will:
- Help with preparation and production of upcoming exhibition content for multimedia guide and extended object labels
- Assist with research for upcoming special exhibitions and collection rotations, and visitor engagement strategy initiatives
- Assist with audio and video content production and assist with quality assurance for the multimedia guide for the Whitney’s exhibitions including arranging and producing audio and video interviews with exhibiting artists
- Help maintain and update the educator website and perform other ongoing communications with affiliate staff
- Prepare and archive research files as well as recording and transcription of exhibition walkthroughs, prep workshops, training programs, and other materials including audio stops and digital content assets such as extended object labels and section texts
- Help coordinate the schedule of tours and other in-gallery visitor engagement programs across multiple platforms
- Attend and support in-person and virtual enrichment programs and special events for educators, including field trips, book clubs, meetings, luncheons, events, and workshops
- Observe tours and programs and contribute feedback and evaluation to docents, educators and teaching fellows
- Gather and record attendance statistics for tours and education programs and audience use of interpretive materials
- Assist with production of updated Docent Program Manual
Skills & Qualifications
- Strong writing skills and interest in research and learning
- Some art history background
- Interest in museum education and educational pedagogy
- Attention to detail
- Ideally has familiarity with WordPress or similar, Excel, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite
Outcomes
- Learn about how to produce interpretive materials, guides, and other education content for a museum.
- Insight into museum education and range of educational pedagogy
- Experience with training and evaluation, including observing and giving feedback
- Research, writing, archiving, and digital skills
Compensation
- Interns will be paid a stipend of $6,500 for full participation.
If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.
About the Whitney:
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
EEO Statement:
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.
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