The Museum of Danish America is able to provide semester-long internships thanks to grant funding from the Scan Design Foundation by Inger and Jens Bruun of Seattle.
"The insight and skills I got from my internship at the Museum of Danish America and living in the U.S. have been very important to me, both while job hunting and in my current position as Event and Membership Coordinator at the Art Museums of Skagen. The experiences I had during my six months at MoDA I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else." – Sofie Nielsen
Not your typical internship
Internships are designed around program needs, the interests of the individual, and ongoing museum projects. The museum offers a hands-on learning environment where interns work as part of a team and complete individual projects. Previous projects include translation work, exhibit design and installation, genealogy and library assignments, social media, development and marketing, and updating collections records. The museum also encourages Danish interns to explore American culture through museum visits, conference and museum events, meetings, etc. Danish interns may also share housing (provided) with American interns. The internships are open to students who are Danish citizens and currently enrolled in graduate programs at Danish universities or equivalent institutions. Recent graduates will also be considered.
Benefits
Visa application expenses covered
Monthly stipend
Shared housing with living expenses provided
Vehicle for intern use
Paid travel opportunities, locally and nationally
Requirements
Bachelor's degree
Working knowledge of English
Excellent organizational and written communication skills
Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
Good interpersonal and computer skills (including Microsoft Office programs)
As we are in a rural area, it is necessary that interns have a driver's license
For more information and to apply, please contact the Executive Director: director@danishmuseum.org. To apply, email your cover letter, CV or resume, and a copy of your most recent transcript or diploma to the above address.
Application Deadlines
Spring semester: November 1
Fall semester: April 30
"I believe that my internship at the Museum of Danish America has helped me immensely with my career! Getting a job in the museum field in Denmark is not always easy, but I gained a lot of experience with collections and exhibits while working in Elk Horn, and that gave me a clear advantage when I started applying for jobs in Denmark.” – Freja Gry Børsting, Curator, Immigrantmuseet, Farum, Denmark
Former MoDA interns gathered at Rebild on July 4, 2023.
American Interns
Engage with the environment, cultivate your potential, and partake in career-building experiences at the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park in Elk Horn, Iowa!
Every spring, the Museum of Danish America accepts applications for the Ronald D. and Mary L. Bro Prairie Internship, a full-time summer internship.
Internship - May - August 2024
40 hours per week with a flexible schedule
Pay: $1,200 monthly stipend
Benefits: Access to a car and a rent-free, fully furnished house that includes utilities and internet
Interns will assist in the management of prairie and wetland restoration, a green roof, and a sustainable landscape at its Elk Horn, Iowa campus. The prairie intern will work with our facilities department and a professional ecologist on the management and monitoring of the prairie. The intern will be tasked with restoration, fieldwork including invasive species control, seed collection, water level management, site monitoring, and botanical and biological inventory. Additionally, the intern will have the opportunity to take field trips to various prairies in the Midwest.
Candidates at any level are welcome to apply.
Skills required:
General knowledge of natural resources and the conservation field
Plant ID / basic knowledge and a desire to learn more
Knowledge of ecological restoration concepts and practices
Ability to perform physical fieldwork in adverse weather conditions
Skills desired:
Pursuing a degree in natural resources, landscape architecture, horticulture, environmental science, or a related field
Landscape architecture graphics and design
Prepare presentations and communicate effectively
"During my internship at the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park, I learned a lot of information that was relevant to my interests. A lot of the work revolved around the maintenance of the prairie, but I also helped plant the wetland area and maintain other areas such as the garden beds in the front of the museum. I learned a lot about the native plants of Iowa, mainly in the prairie ecosystem, as well as how to take care of invasives in the prairie. If you’re interested in landscape architecture, horticulture, or something similar, you could learn a lot from this position." - Cooper Larsen, 2022 intern, currently interning at Ken Smith Workshop in New York and pursuing aB.A. in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University.
"I worked for the Museum of Danish America in the summer of 2021. Covid-19 was still a huge fear then, but I was grateful to have found this cheerful and welcoming community for the summer. My duties included pulling and treating invasive plants, keeping a lookout for butterflies, birds, and other wildlife, as well as documenting the changes that I was seeing in the prairie. I also had the opportunity to watch the reshaping of the wetland and helped reseed the area in the last month of my internship. My favorite moments were learning about the traditions of MoDA: Sankt Hans Aften, coffee and kringle, more coffee, and keeping history alive. I learned a love for botany and restoration that summer which led me into the career path I'm on today." - Wren Klump, 2021 intern, B.S. in Environmental Science
Applications for this position are not being accepted at this time.
To learn about more internship opportunities, email info@danishmuseum.org or subscribe to our free monthly E-News.
Bodtker Grant
Danish Interns may also apply for the Bodtker Grant offered by The Danish American Heritage Society to help fund research projects. For more information, visit http://www.danishheritage.org. The internships are open to students who are Danish citizens and currently enrolled in graduate programs at Danish universities or equivalent institutions. Click here for more information on the Bodtker Grant.
