By Abigail Quin Hricik

In May of 2021, I started my journey at the MAS as a volunteer with the education department. After a few months of assisting with craft activities and science demonstrations, I knew I wanted to take on a larger role at the museum as an intern in the same department. I was able to run more crafts and demonstrations, as well as design activities for family days and Girl Scout badge nights.

Throughout my internship, I learned so much about curriculum development including how to design programs for large groups and individual families. Additionally, I was able to work with more National Informal STEM Education Network (NISENET) kits, which are great educational tools designed by experts. These kits not only allowed me to teach museum visitors about space and the physical world in more interactive ways but also helped me to learn more about those topics.

As someone beginning a career in informal education, the experience that I gained from my internship is incredibly helpful to me. It has prepared me for a job in museum education and has given me transferable skills I can use in any position in the free-choice learning field.

If college or graduate students who are studying sciences and/or education and know that they are interested in informal education or exploring career options, I would recommend this internship. Even if your program doesn’t offer course credit for internships, an internship in the MAS education department is still possible. And, if an education internship isn’t quite your speed but you love museums, the art department offers internships as well!