Employment / Intern / Volunteer

Volunteer

“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

We cannot provide the excellent programs we do without you, our many highly-valued volunteers! And as a state-wide organization, we are looking for more volunteers statewide. These are just some of the areas in which you can help:

• Gift Shop
• Fundraising
• Clerical Assistance
• Historical Research
• Educational Programs
• Special Events
• Publicity/ Marketing
• Helping with Museum Collections
• Tours
• Statewide Museum Chapters
• docents
• Adult Voices, Children’s Eyes Oral History Project Assistants

For more information, contact the Museum: 319-862-2101 or download the  Volunteer Application 2013 and  return it to the African American Museum at 55 12th Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401.

Internships

Part of our collaboration with local educational institutions is through resume-building internships and short-term projects. We have worked with students from dozens of colleges across the state of Iowa to give them a feel for what museum work is like.

Established in 1994, the African American Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa is a dynamic, cutting-edge non-profit institution whose mission is to seek out and preserve the rich African American heritage of Iowa.

Because the Museum has a small staff and is growing rapidly, interns have the opportunity for invaluable hands-on professional experience tailored to fit their individual talents and interests.
Internships are offered year-round. While internships are unpaid, they offer invaluable professional experience.

Majors/Minors who might be interested:

History, American History, Museum/Archival Studies, Education, Marketing/Tourism, Journalism, Non-Profit Management, African American Studies, Women’s Studies.

Interns may gain professional experience in the following:

History/Museum & Archives:

History/Museum & Archives interns will do historical research for upcoming exhibits, assist staff in managing museum collections and archival work; collect oral histories and assist in the design, fabrication and installation for temporary exhibits.

Marketing/Public Relations:

Marketing/Public Relations interns will write articles for the Museum’s quarterly newsletter, The Iowa Griot. They will assist the staff in all aspects of marketing and promotion for Museum special events, fund-raisers and educational programs. There will also be opportunities for interns to meet and network with local marketing/tourism groups such as the Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance.

Education:

Education interns will have an opportunity to help plan annual events such as the Martin Luther King Day Service Project, Black History Month programs, Juneteenth and Kwanzaa. Interns in the education department will also be required to attend docent training and give at least one tour during their internship.

Fundraising:

Fundraising interns will assist staff in planning fundraising events such as the Annual Celebration of Education and Achievement. Interns in this department will also write grants and identify funding sources.

Non-Profit Management:

Management interns will gain some experience in all of the categories listed above as well as handling personnel; working with boards and committees; facility design and management; legal aspects and other unique aspects of running a non-profit organization.
To apply for an internship, fill out and return the Volunteer Application 2013 to Lynn Koos at lko...@blackiowa.org.

Here’s what our past interns have said about their experience:

“A great opportunity to work with a wonderful and knowledgeable staff. I really enjoyed working directly with the curator Susan and members of the Cedar Rapids community. The experience was certainly a testament to the value of field study.” – Joshua Terronez, Intern 2008.

“Interning at the African American Museum of Iowa provided me with first hand experience in the field of museum curating by putting together an exhibit. I worked as part of a team of equals with other interns and the museum staff. Not only did I gain valuable experience in the field but I was able to research some interesting and unique historical perspectives that were outside of my usual coursework.” – Nathan Shepard, Intern 2008.

To apply for an internship or volunteer opportunity, fill out and return the Volunteer Application 2013 to Lynn Koos at lko...@blackiowa.org.

Job Opportunities

Education Assistant

Overview:
The Education Assistant position reports to the Director of Education and works to create and implement high-quality, mission-centered educational programming for all ages. This position works directly with other educational facilities, such as schools and libraries, as necessary to assist with educational programming, supplies, and volunteers. Having own reliable vehicle for statewide travel is required, as is Some evening, weekend, and holiday work. This position will be 40 hours/week, $25,000-28,000 year with benefits.

Job Responsibilities:
• Contribute to creation and implementation of educational programs throughout the state, including, but not limited to: writing age-appropriate lesson plans that correlate to state learning standards for distance learning classes, preschool Learning Safaris, traveling trunk curriculum, and museum workshops.
• Develop an understanding of Iowa’s African American history and African American Museum of Iowa policies.
• Communicate professionally and accurately with teachers, youth group leaders, tour groups, and other organizations regarding their tours, workshops, and other museum programs/events.
• Track attendance numbers for all groups and input information in Excel database.
• Present and schedule tours, workshops, and ICN classes to audiences of all ages, learning abilities, and sizes.
• Compile, proofread, and coordinate production of The Iowa Griot, the museum’s quarterly magazine, for design and printing.
• Assist with educational supplies, Traveling Trunks, promotional materials, room set up/breakdown, bulk mailings, preparing craft supplies, etc.
• Coordinate traveling exhibits, including their scheduling, distribution, and maintenance.
• Help recruit, train, and schedule volunteer docents to lead guided tours.
• Build relationships with community members throughout Iowa.
• Create event fliers, assist with press releases, and place events on on-line community calendars.
• Other duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications:
A college degree and/or experience working with children in a formal or informal education setting. The ideal candidate will be self-directed, creative, a strong writer and presenter, and organized. Previous knowledge of museum and education practices preferred, but willingness to train in those fields is required. Applicant should have strong computer knowledge (Microsoft Office, Internet, etc).

Interested candidates may email their cover letter and resume to Click here to view email address or send a hard copy to the attention of “Education Assistant” at: African American Museum of Iowa, 55 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401