Summer Internships for UMN English Majors!
To assist undergraduates in honing skills in communications, marketing, and fundraising/development, the Department of English is collaborating with various organizations in the Twin Cities on internships only for UMN English majors. Due to a generous gift from Edith Leyasmeyer, students who intern at arts organizations for a semester are eligible for stipends of $500. If you'd like course credit, the English department offers accompanying directed study options of 1-4 credits. How do you apply? Application instructions are below: Deadline is May 21. (Please do not contact the organizations. If you have questions, contact Terri Sutton at sutt0063@umn.edu or 612-626-1528.)
Students must commit to 10-15 hours/week through the agreed upon internship period. See below for summer 2018 internship sites.
In an era when consolidations and mergers of banks are the rule, BankCherokee continues its long tradition as an independent, family-owned bank. This tradition over three generations ensures that BankCherokee is able to respond to the unique needs of the communities it serves with a high level of service and personal attention. BankCherokee succeeds by helping customers succeed. BankCherokee is proud to be values driven, relationship focused, family oriented, and community engaged.
This internships is an opportunity to see how an English major could be used in a business setting. Given that this is a small organization (60 employees), the intern will find it easy to learn about the organization as a whole, as well as to learn about the various departments. The internship will provide opportunities for interviewing bank employees and customers, researching various topics, and writing: for example, writing articles for a newsletter, writing social media posts, reviewing and improving content on the website with an emphasis on increasing the site's ranking (SEO) with specific keywords. Researching topics relevant to customers or prospective customers would be another task. The intern can participate in Marketing Department meetings, and there may be opportunities to attend other meetings as well, depending on intern availability and interest. The intern would be working at the BankCherokee office in North Oaks, at least initially; some work may be done from home. An internship at BankCherokee will provide the student a chance to use their skills in a business setting. Stipends are not available for this internship.
For more than 20 years, the Jungle Theater has had a substantial impact on the Twin Cities theater scene, having established a reputation for excellence that stems from a commitment to high artistic standards and the contributions of many respected and celebrated local artists. In addition to the Jungle’s main stage productions of classic and contemporary plays, the theater also maintains community arts education and outreach programs which serve the Greater Metro area, and reflect the theater’s ongoing commitment to neighborhood and community. A flagship example of the transformative power of the performing arts.
The Jungle internship will focus on marketing and development (fundraising) research: helping out on projects to define who Jungle patrons and donors are, what they want, and why they act as they do. Applicants should have excellent communication skills, plus interests in event planning and marketing research. Stipend of $500.
Park Square Theatre’s mission is to enrich its community by producing and presenting exceptional live theatre that touches the heart, engages the mind and delights the spirit. From its beginnings in 1974 as a small warehouse theatre, Park Square has grown into the East Metro’s top employer of local stage talent and is home to the largest teen theatre audience in the nation.
Park Square’s brand, Theatre for you. (yes you.), is built on the success of creating dynamic relationships with audiences and artists. The Marketing Intern will support the marketing team in enhancing relationships with audiences and prospective audiences while learning the essential steps of marketing at a non-profit arts organization. The position will be overseen by the Marketing and Engagement Manager. Stipend of $500. Potential marketing intern projects (summer intern may work on a specific project that can be completed in a finite amount of time):
- Work with marketing team to compose direct mail campaigns
- Help draft emails (in Constant Contact) promoting productions and other events
- Write blog posts about topics of interest, e.g. interviews with a cast members, dramaturgy
- Collaborate on social media platform upkeep (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
- Support maintenance and continuing development of two advisory boards: Community Advisory Board of people of color, and Emerging Leaders Advisory Board
- Organize and attend patron cultivation events: first rehearsals, opening night, pre/post show discussions, etc.
- Proof and provide feedback on marketing pieces including playbills, show cards, advertisements
- Assist with database management to ensure accurate records of patrons
- Collaborate in exploring “next steps” for audience cultivation and development
- Support marketing staff with daily administrative tasks as needed
- Participate in marketing and management team meetings to observe organizational structure
- Connect with development (fundraising) department as interested, to support grant writing and donor cultivation.
Since 2002, the Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) has served as the Twin Cities’ window to Russian art, history, and culture. Visitors to TMORA explore new and unique perspectives on Russia, a country with a recorded history that spans over 1000 years. TMORA is a collecting museum that receives donations of artworks from collectors, museums, and galleries. A hands-on opportunity in museum curation, the Curatorial Intern will help inventory and make accessible an extensive donation of Russian nesting dolls, as well as part of a recent donation of Soviet-era New Year tree ornaments and memorabilia. The internship period is one month, but is renewable to a total of 10 weeks.
The Curatorial Intern assists the TMORA Curator with the inventory, cataloguing, and care of the museum collections. The intern must have the ability to safely handle artworks, keep accurate records, and follow directions; attention to detail; flexibility; and openness to taking responsibility for a variety of duties. Computer proficiency is a must. Russian language proficiency and knowledge of Russian art, culture, and history are desired but not required. Duties involve entering collection items into the Museum Collections Management System, MIMSY; attaching labels to and photographing collection items; checking the location and inventory numbers of individual items; and performing other tasks as determined by the supervisor. [In addition to the application materials below, TMORA asks for contact information for two references.] Stipend of $500 for 10 weeks.
How to apply
Eligibility
- Be an already-admitted, degree-seeking student in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
- Be a formally declared English BA major.
- Have completed EngL 3001 Textual Analysis and at least two additional “foundation requirements” in major.
Application (typed, by post or email)
- Cover letter which includes the following: your name, year in school, student ID number, mailing address, daytime phone, email address, major and minor.
- Purpose statement: two pages long (double-spaced and typed). Your purpose statement should respond to the following questions: What is your long term career objective, or your best guess at what your career will look like? How will this internship help you take the next step toward that goal? What specific skills would you like to develop and how might you do this in this internship? How will the real-world work of this internship enhance/expand/explore what you are learning through coursework in your major or degree program? How might the internship site positively benefit as a result of having you as an intern—what specific skills and experiences do you bring to the internship?
- Unofficial transcript or APAS: Attach an unofficial copy of your University of Minnesota transcript. It is acceptable to submit the APAS that can be printed from the OneStop site.
Send application by MONDAY, MAY 21, 2018
Email with subject heading [ORGANIZATION] INTERNSHIP to: sutt0063@umn.edu
or send to:
Department of English
ATTN: Terri Sutton
207 Lind Hall
207 Church St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
