|
The Steele Internship Program is more than just a
valuable work experience at the Hall of Fame. It’s a
life-learning opportunity in Cooperstown, with added
benefits for program participants. Watch
this video to learn more about how the internship
program has impacted interns.
Each department offers interns a unique learning experience.
Read the profiles below to learn more about department
opportunities from former interns.
Hometown: Hatfield, MA
Department: Group Sales
Intern summer: 2006
College: Saint Anselm
College
Date of Graduation: May
2008
Degree: History with a
concentration in French
What is a typical day like?
There really is no typical day, that is one of the things
I really liked. My days here involved a variety of activities,
from entering group reservations into the computer,
to actually meeting and greeting the groups outside
the museum, to helping set up for special events, and
helping run private parties that took place at the museum.
I got to really see how a museum works from all different
angles, which was really great.
What most surprised you about
the internship?
What most surprised me about the internship program
was how much of a program it really was. Coming in to
the internship, I didn't really know about the career
seminars, assignments or artifacts spotlights. I gained
so much great experience outside of my department and
great professional experience like networking skills
and resume writing. I was also surprised by the access
I had to everyone in the museum and everyone I came
into contact with was so friendly.
What are you taking away from
the experience?
First of all, I am taking away great contacts, both
personally and professionally. I have made such great
friends who I have had such a great time with these
past ten weeks. Also, everyone who works at the Hall
of Fame has been really nice and very helpful and I
will miss interacting with the staff on a daily basis.
I will also take away the amazing experience. Every
day was just such a total experience from working in
my department to working on intern projects like the
All-Star Gala to doing artifact spotlights.
Hometown: Quaker Hill,
CT
Department: Education
and Programming
Intern summer: 2006
College: Connecticut College
Date of Graduation: May
2007
Degree: B.A. Human Development
and K-6 Teaching Certification
Why did you apply?
I started looking at internships in a number of diverse
fields related to my majors. When I found the Education
Internship at the Hall of Fame on one of my list-serv's,
I knew immediately that it was the only one I wanted.
Not only was this a well-paying internship in my field,
which are not easy to come by, it was an opportunity
to work in baseball and broaden my experience.
What is a typical day like?
This summer has been anything but typical. I started
out working in the Education Department where the staff
had obviously spent a great deal of time creating a
list of exciting projects specifically for me to complete
this summer. As the Education Intern, I had the opportunity
to create standards based curriculum for the Hall of
Fame's on-site and distance learning programs, work
with a team of interns on a 10-week research project/evaluation
of "family friendliness" at the Hall, and facilitate
activities with our youngest visitors in the Sandlot
Kids' Clubhouse. Staffing changes in the department
midway through the summer altered my role a bit and
opened up the opportunity for me to get much more involved
with the daily programming that goes on in the museum.
My days were split between working on my education projects
and hosting programs which included a number of trivia
games, informational "Rookie" workshops, and artifact
spotlights. This new role also gave me the opportunity
to work with museum staff in orchestrating other special
events, including the completely intern run All-Star
Gala.
What are you taking away from
the experience?
I am walking away from the Hall of Fame with more than
I ever expected when I began the program. In addition
to meeting and working with 21 other amazing interns
and a fabulous staff, I have gained invaluable work
experience in developing curriculum and lesson plans
that can only come with the opportunity to work hands-on.
The program also did a great deal to help me build professionalism,
confidence, and a growing network of resources as I
move forward in my education and career goals.
By Kristen Costa
As one of the four interns assigned to the family friendly
project, we were given the ambitious task of defining
and assessing the family friendliness of the Museum,
as well as making recommendations for improvements.
Essentially, we functioned as consultants to the Hall
of Fame. Working on this project gave us the opportunity
to combine our career interest in museums with our passion
for baseball; we had a fresh perspective on the inner
workings of the museum, as well as an outsider’s point
of view because of our short time at the Hall of Fame.
This was the opportunity of a lifetime because our work
directly related to the everyday actions of the Hall
of Fame. It was not just an intern project to list on
our resumes and land on our supervisors’ shelves- our
report completed a study of the family environment of
the institution that was long overdue and much needed.
The response and support from the full time staff was
remarkable on many levels, especially upper administration.
Our presentation was well attended by entire departments
and various levels of staff. This is what is most significant
about the internship at the Baseball Hall of Fame: we
were never treated as if we were “just interns.” The
entire institution took our project very seriously,
and while many of our recommendations were idealistic,
staff embraced the new ideas and suggestions for future
development.
One of the most remarkable aspects of this project was
the level of responsibility the entire project team
was given. The project involved observations of the
public in the museum galleries as well as surveying
visitors. In addition, the team interviewed and surveyed
most staff members, did comprehensive research and case
studies, and met with leading professionals in the museum
and family learning field. At each level, we were given
a degree of authority that is not likely to be found
in other internship programs. We were given our assignment
within days of beginning of the internship and after
some brief introduction to the topic and purpose of
the study, the professional staff put their trust in
us to successfully carry out this project in the best
way we see fit.
Both personally and professionally, this project was
a defining moment for me. Working with four interns
so closely and intensely for 10 weeks allowed me the
opportunity to form close friendships, learning from
their experiences. On a professional level, it helped
to better my written and verbal communication skills,
especially in working with others. It allowed me to
apply my graduate school education to a practical situation.
I was able to further express my ideas and concerns
regarding museums and cultural institutions in society.
Most importantly, I was able to influence the dynamic
and culture of the Baseball Hall of Fame, albeit in
a small way. The ability to play a role in the future
endeavors of the Hall of Fame and Museum is a rare opportunity
for an intern, and I feel privileged to have contributed
to such a distinguished institution.
Kristen Costa interned in the curatorial
department in 2006 while pursuing her Masters in Public
Humanities at Brown University. |
Lauren
Weybrew
Sara
DeGaetano