Student Opportunities at the Gorgas House Museum
Exhibit Planning & Research
Work with the Gorgas House Museum (GHM) Director to research, design, and implement exhibits from beginning to end. Exhibits can be based on individual interests or preset education goals of the Museum. Interns will gain experience in museum operations, historic object handling and care, budgeting, exhibit design, and more.
Internship Requirements: Must have a passion for public history and engagement. Experience with graphic design (Canva, Adobe Suite, etc.) preferred. Students must be curious, creative, and self-motivated. Strong writing and communication skills needed.
Point of Contact: Sonya Harwood-Johnson, Director, Gorgas House Museum sonya.harwood@ua.edu
Research Assistant & Historian
Interns will work to add to the knowledge base of the history of the house and The University of Alabama. Research will be done at the GHM with primary objects and texts, as well as in the UA Museum collections and Hoole Library Special Collections. Students are able to use this research for their own publications and conference presentations.
Internship Requirements: A strong knowledge of text-based data collection and synthesis. Familiarity with navigating archives and online data sources. Strong writing and communication skills. Ability to condense knowledge into information that can be used in future exhibits, tours, and other educational opportunities.
Point of Contact: Sonya Harwood-Johnson, Director, Gorgas House Museum sonya.harwood@ua.edu
Event Planning Assistant
Interns will assist the Gorgas House Director in planning, coordinating, and facilitating events for donors, private parties, and the general public. Will also work with the Exhibit Planning & Research team to creatively come up with educational programming based around holidays, exhibits, history, etc. for diverse audiences.
Internship Requirements: Experience in event planning and management. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Interns will have a strong attention to detail and work well under pressure.
Point of Contact: Sonya Harwood-Johnson, Director, Gorgas House Museum sonya.harwood@ua.edu
Education Program / Tour Development
Work with the Gorgas House Director to fine-tune and continue to develop the tour for a variety of audiences and specifications. Will also collaborate with the Research Assistant & Historian team to integrate new information into the tour. Will help develop specialized tours for elementary and high school groups, special focus groups, and UA classes.
Internship Requirements: Experience in history or storytelling of some kind. Some education background preferred. Able to scale information to a wide range of audiences. Creativity and public speaking skills highly encouraged.
Point of Contact: Sonya Harwood-Johnson, Director, Gorgas House Museum sonya.harwood@ua.edu
