Summer Program Intern – Wild Child: Museum & Menagerie
Internship Details
Title of Internship: Summer Program Intern – Wild Child: Museum & Menagerie Internship Description:Handshake Job #9947811
Position Overview: This paid internship is designed for students or recent graduates with a passion for working with children and helping them better appreciate our natural world. This will be a great opportunity for those who are interested in gaining hands-on experience in the fields of early childhood education, museum studies, youth development and recreation, or nonprofit management.
The selected intern will be mentored by Wild Child’s Executive Director and work closely with other staff, including the Program Director who will serve as their direct supervisor, the Menagerie Manager, and other Wild Child Guides. The intern will receive training in order to tackle the duties outlined below, although we invite candidates to propose how they would like to tailor their internship on their chosen field or career path.
Role & Responsibilities:
In person Tasks:
- Welcome and provide excellent customer service to guests of all ages.
- Offer classes and programs for children ages 0-12 or their adult caregivers.
- Host group activities for youth guests such as field trips or birthday parties.
- Assist with tracking inventory for consumables (snacks, drinks, retail, supplies).
- Review & improve museum exhibits for maximum interest and interactivity.
- Plan points of engagement to encourage guests review & return to the museum.
Online Tasks:
- Plan and post social media content across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Engage with followers and allied organizations on social platforms.
- Review & improve website content with needed corrections and user feedback.
- Track online registrations, income, and other metrics for success.
- Research funding opportunities and draft grant proposals.
- Analyse the success of past programs and plan new events or offerings.
- Willingness and ability to pass a pre-employment background check, and willingness to be drug-tested in the event of an accident or reasonable suspicion
The duration of this internship is flexible and can be anywhere from 100 – 1,000 hours maximum. (There is also the possibility of being hired after successful completion of the internship.) Depending on the number of hours desired, the intern will be expected to spend time on-site during some weekday shifts (9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm) and may also be requested to attend evening or weekend special events, if available. Interns can request specific hours that suit their schedule better, and total hours per week can vary between 3 and 30 hours. Interns may also work up to 6 hours per week remotely completing online-only tasks.
Internship Requirement/Qualifications:Qualifications:
- Must be a student, recent graduate, or lifelong learner who is eager to master new skills and systems.
- Must be friendly and fun-loving, with a can-do attitude to help meet team goals.
- Must have experience working with children in some capacity – ideally with coursework or professional experience in early childhood education.
- Must be able to engage professionally with parents and caregivers when caring for their children, handling money, or encountering other issues.
- Must be organized and competent communicator, willing to document progress and discuss problems with supervisors(s) as they arise.
Learning Outcomes:
- Learn our standard operating procedures and compare them to best practices for how to run a non-profit children’s museum.
- Plan and participate in regularly offered programs or special events, such as parties and field trips.
- Apply marketing research and community outreach principles to strengthen in-person and online recruitment.
- Sharpen customer service skills through direct engagement with museum guests of all ages.
- Observe guests’ interactions with museum exhibits and survey them on their experiences to recommend new displays and activities or other improvements.
- Study and experiment with strategies for achieving financial sustainability (e.g. fundraising, ticket pricing, program planning).
Compensation Information:
- Learn Hourly Pay Rate of $15, plus temporary housing stipend possible up to $500.
- Free access to Canva Pro, to use for Wild Child or other projects as desired.
- Discounted gear, games, books, and toys in Wild Child Gift Shop.
- Free membership for a child in your life (valued $30 -$450 / child/month).
Wild Child: Museum & Menagerie
Wild Child is building a new destination for indoor play and outdoor exploration, encompassed in a miniature nature-inspired children’s museum. Children and caregivers can cozy up with their favorite Featured Creatures and learn about the diversity in the animal kingdom through educational exhibits, games, and more. In addition to our Everyday Play Museum visits for the whole family, Wild Child: Menagerie will offer drop-in child-minding services through our Supervised Play sessions, plus day camps, classes, and birthday parties.
iQuasar LLC, as the staffing agency for the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) internship program, will handle the scheduling of interviews and onboarding processes. As part of this process, interns will be placed on iQuasar LLC’s payroll.
Disclaimer: Your application packet is important to us. Any information you share while applying for this Internship position stays confidential.
An Equal Opportunity Employer:
iQuasar LLC. is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital/parental/veteran status, disability, genetic information, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, military service, other non-merit factors, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.
E-Verify Statement:
iQuasar LLC participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility for all newly hired employees. We require the completion of an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form for all employees.
Point of Contact: Deb Mushtaq