The National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE)’s Internship Program is a partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and other Federal agencies responsible for cultural resource protection and public land management. The purpose is to accomplish needed and important work on federally protected lands while providing program participants with professional experience in their chosen fields. Interns work under the guidance of agency staff who are subject area experts to carry out the mission of the park.
To be eligible, applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old (or 35 if a veteran) when starting the internship, a post-secondary student (certificate program, 2-year, 4-year, or graduate level), or a recent graduate (within the past 12 months at the time of application), and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
The successful candidate will assist Senior NPS Museum Conservators with all aspects of conservation, including: object handling, object photography (before and after treatment digital imaging), report writing (condition reports, treatment proposals, and treatment reports), database entry, lab maintenance, and basic treatment steps. The intern may also perform preventive conservation steps such as integrated pest management, object labeling, and constructing housings and supports. Training will be provided in all areas listed above.
Projects will include treatment of materials from multiple sites throughout the NPS, working in five specialized conservation labs (Textiles, Paper/Books, Furniture and Wooden Artifacts, Organic Objects, Inorganic Objects). Basic treatment steps may include a variety of surface cleaning methods, mending, filling losses, reattaching loose elements, applying surface coatings, and humidifying/flattening under the guidance of a Senior NPS Museum Conservator. The types of objects/materials will vary depending on the needs of the parks but could include textiles, paper/books, ceramics/glass, metals, leather, basketry, taxidermy, and wooden artifacts/furniture. Training in scientific analysis will be provided as needed. The labs are outfitted with XRF, FTIR, microscopy, microchemical testing, and Oddy testing stations, which may be used to assist in material identification and treatment decisions.
This position is ideal for those early in their conservation career with some previous experience in a conservation lab seeking to gain more experience before entering a graduate program in art conservation. The position is almost all in-person, but telework days will be granted upon request for report writing, etc. A background security investigation may be required prior to the start date. All NCPE interns accrue 4 hours of paid time off (PTO) for every 80 hours worked. Another benefit is a generous housing allowance paid monthly to the intern.
Qualified NCPE interns who complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate. Once earned, the PLC certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal permanent, temporary, or term positions. Visit https://preservenet.org/ncpe-internships/ for details about this benefit. Successful completion of the internship does not guarantee Federal employment.