The Rubin-Ladd internship at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU is offered to two junior or senior FIU students each fall semester and aims to train students to teach with objects expanding the museum’s audience reach. During the course of this internship, students will gain experience working in museums and develop transferable skills in critical thinking, visual analysis, public speaking, educational theory and community engagement.
After participating in a training program led by Frost Art Museum staff, Rubin-Ladd interns will conduct tours of the Frost Art Museum’s exhibitions for a variety of visitors. Interns will design curricula, present lessons, and develop activities for groups from partnering Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) initiatives. Interns will also curate in-person and virtual tours for various audiences throughout the academic year.
Curatorial Research Working with chief curator, the interns will complete five (5) hours per week of curatorial work. During this time, they will research the objects in the museum’s collection, and discuss the history of the objects, the context in which they were made, the history of the museum, and the role of exhibitions in creating dynamic programming.
Conducting Tours For ten (10) hours each week, interns will work under Chief of Education to develop lesson plans and prepare and practice conducting tours to school groups. During this time, they will learn how to apply evidence-based teaching strategies that support learning in an informal setting, how to teach with objects, and hands on sessions to develop their visual thinking, observational and teaching skills.
Prior to conducting school tours, Rubin-Ladd Student interns will prepare and practice in collaboration with the education and curatorial teams. Interns will communicate with teachers to meet their expectations and needs and learn how to align their tours with student’s needs. They develop pre-visit and post-visit guides. They facilitate 30-minute virtual tours introducing MDCPS students to ideas about museums, musuem education, collecting and art making leading to a desired learning objective for that tour.
Independent Study Rubin-Ladd Student Docent interns spend five (5) hours weekly of self-study, curriculum projects, and writing reflections. This time is critical for independent research, planning tour outlines, responding to feedback, and developing curricula.
The 2021 Rubin Ladd Internship takes place over twelve weeks during the fall semester, for twenty hours per week. Please include a short essay explaining your background experience, motivations, and goals for applying for the Rubin Ladd Student docent Internship. The essay should be no more than two pages in length and include a description of your background, and cultural or museum interests and experiences, as well as any other information you believe is relevant to your application.