Internship Opportunities at Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum
Opportunities are available to all undergraduate and graduate students. Training
is provided.
Contact: Please submit a cover letter indicating the interests and goals of
the proposed internship to Beverly Broyles, Exectutive Director.
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum
411 Kent St.
Rockford, IL 61102
(815) 964-2424
1. Educational
Programming Internship: 5-20 hours per week over the course of a semester.
Supervisor: Museum Educator.
Possible projects include:
Education Assistant
- Instructor at the museum’s after school program at least one afternoon
a week
- Prep craft supplies each week
Educational Programming to go with exhibits:
- Develop and implement program activities to complement exhibits
- Write press releases and marketing materials for the programming
Possible projects include:
Registrar Assistant
– Inventory, number and catalog 19th century artifacts in the museum collection.
Includes data entry on PastPerfect computer collections software and additional
tasks as listed below. Training will be provided. Collections include:
- Natural sciences collection; consisting of seashells, coral and various plant
life.
- Geological collection - identification of various minerals.
- Books – implementation of preservation methods.
- Textiles and other 19th century household accessories.
- Photographs – organize, catalog and rehouse historic photographs.
- Organize and accession archives of the Tinker family as well as corporate
records.
Curatorial Assistant – Includes general maintenance of the collections (gentle cleaning of artifacts), redecorating the house seasonally, and moving artifacts for changing exhibit topics.
Exhibit development
Research, develop an exhibit plan and a plan for coordinating workshops and
/ or speakers and upon approval, implement the plan for one or more exhibit
topics.
Handyman tour – research and develop specialized tour of the historic house about methods used to build the Cottage and the technology installed in the 1800s (i.e. octopus heating system, electricity)
Transcription – of historic documents, including family letters, diaries, account books and ledgers.
Oral History Interviews
and Transcriptions
Interview and transcribe the memories of individuals connected to Tinker Swiss
Cottage Museum for the museum archives.
3. Museum Immersion
Experience – 10-20 hours per week over the course of a semester.
Supervisors include the Museum Educator and Curator. Housing may be available.
Gain hands-on experience in a historic house museum setting in all of the following
areas:
-Research
-Curatorial Practices
-Exhibit development & installation
-Educational program development
-Youth programming
-Adult programming
-Leading tours