Job Opening – Education Internship – Past and Present School Programs (08/2012)

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) is seeking interns for the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 Past and Present School Program Internship.

DATES
Interns should be available from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: 11/28, 12/5, 12/12, 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, and 4/24. There may also be training and development workshops on some additional dates.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Past and Present internship provides participants with an in-depth understanding of the inner workings of FAMSF’s Past and Present school program and an opportunity to actively support the program’s mission.
FAMSF holds the Past and Present program for sixth graders on Wednesdays at the Legion of Honor. The program comprises three activities that use student-centered learning and cycles of inquiry to increase museum literacy and student engagement. Past and Present interns will support museum staff and volunteers in the instruction and management of visiting school groups.

SPECIFICS
During the first half of the internship, interns will

• Greet visiting schools and record attendance numbers.
• Host school groups by leading students through program components.
• Assist the museum artists with program components.
• Provide coaching and support for students during program components.
• Analyze teacher and student evaluations.
• Collaborate with fellow interns, museum staff, and docents on group management and daily logistics.

After the first half, interns may take part in an advanced portion of the internship. In addition to the tasks described above, they will

• Participate in mentorships with different teaching artists.
• Serve as assistant facilitators for program activities.
• Reflect on teaching practices.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
This internship will allow participants to

• Expand their knowledge of art museum operations and school programs.
• Strengthen their group management skills.
• Improve their interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Gain exposure to museum pedagogy, including techniques for leading in-gallery tours and hands-on activities.
• Observe and practice teaching for student-centered learning.
• Increase their knowledge of exhibition content.
• Learn about museum program development and evaluation.
• Develop coaching skills and experience with sixth-grade students.

ELIGIBILITY
Recent graduates, undergraduate, and graduate students are welcome to apply. The ideal candidate will have experience working with middle school students in an art, school, or community-based setting. Experience working in environments that require patience and initiative is a plus. An interest in child development, museum studies, studio art, and/or art history is also useful. Applicants with an art background are encouraged to bring examples of their work to their interview.

TO APPLY
Please submit a cover letter and résumé via the FAMSF Snaphire website: http://famsf.snaphire.com.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications will be accepted until September 14, 2012. Interviews will be held the week October 1, 2012.

QUESTIONS
Please contact Ariana Bayer at (415) 750-7696 or abayer@famsf.org.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is the city’s largest public arts institution and comprises the de Young and the Legion of Honor museums. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, the de Young showcases American art from the seventeenth through the twenty-first century, international contemporary art, textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa. The Legion of Honor displays more than four thousand years of ancient and European art, including Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker, and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, all in a Beaux-Arts building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge. The privately funded Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums (COFAM) supports the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, a department of the City and County of San Francisco.