The Washington D.C. Internship Program

The Washington D.C. Internship Program (DCIP) is a five-week, full-time, project-based museum studies internship opportunity for up to four (4) East Los Angeles College (ELAC) students to work with the Smithsonian Institution or the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington D.C.

In 2018, ELAC, the Vincent Price Art Museum, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL), and the NGA, developed a national partnership to champion accessibility and diversity within the museum field by providing ELAC students an entrypoint into museum work through a well-rounded, robust professional and personal development experience. The NMAL offers this program as part of its Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP) Undergraduate Internship. The LMSP Undergraduate Internship is a career pathway program designed to increase hands-on training opportunities for Latina/o/x-identifying undergraduate students interested in art museum careers.

This program includes a week-long (January 2 – 5, 2024) orientation in Los Angeles, California with leading museum professional guest speaker presentations, career-oriented workshops, and reflection discussions. Thereafter, interns will travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in a month-long (January 8 – February 2, 2024), mentor-led internship at one of the nation’s premier museums. Concurrently, ELAC student interns will participate in an online ELAC course Art 385: Directed Study during the internship period.



Eligibility

  1. Applicant must be 18 years or older.
  2. Applicant must be an enrolled ELAC Student (Spring and/or Summer 2023 semester).
  3. Applicant must be authorized to work in the United States. This includes US Citizens, Green Card holders, DACA recipients, and international students.
  4. Applicant must be available to travel domestically.
  5. Applicant must be able to enroll in the online ELAC course Art 385: Directed Study (3 units) during the Winter 2024.
  6. Applicant must be available for full-time internship from: January 2, 2024 – February 2, 2024 in Washington, D.C.
  7. Previous DCIP participants are ineligible to apply.

Accommodations

Program accommodations will be provided at no-cost to the student intern, which includes: airfare, lodging, and a stipend.


How to Apply

Interested and eligible ELAC students are highly encouraged to apply!

Submit an online application through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointments (SOLAA) portal at solaa.si.edu/solaa by the deadline: Monday, July 17, 2023 at 5:00pm PT. Create an account in SOLAA and search for “ELAC Vincent Price Art Museum Internship” in the search bar in order to access and complete the application. Application requirements include: a resume, personal statement, and unofficial transcripts. Printed or mailed applications will not be accepted.

Apply now! DCIP Information sheet can be found here and download the flyer here


Important Dates

  • Application Available: Monday, May 22, 2023
  • Application Deadline: Monday, July 17, 2023 at 5:00PM Pacific Time (PT)
  • Internship Begins: Tuesday, January 2, 2024
  • Internship Concludes: Friday, February 2, 2024

The Washington D.C. Internship Program is made possible through the generous support of Bank of America, US Bank (formerly Union Bank), the Cynthia Lee Maughan Scholarship, and Barbara Hensleigh and Joe Andrews. All programs are underwritten by the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation and East Los Angeles College. Additionally, this program receives federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino. This Washington D.C. Internship Program would not be possible without the partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and the National Gallery of Art.