SEMC is pleased to offer support for a paid internship through the Handumy Jean Tahan Museums Fund, which was established in 2022 with a gift from donor, Joy Tahan Ruddell, in honor of her late mother, Handumy Jean Tahan, to support paid internships in the Southeastern Museums Conference. The Fund will provide a museum or historic site support for a paid internship.

Eligible museums or sites will have a SEMC Category 1,2 or 3 operating budget ($500,000 and below) and limited funds to compensate an intern. The Fund seeks to support mutually beneficial opportunities for the next generation of museum professionals and the host site through paid internships that offer practical experience, collaboration with professional staff, and exposure to various aspects of general non-profit operations.

For 2025, SEMC is pleased to offer two $1,000 stipends to eligible organizations to support a paid internship.

Eligibility and Deliverables:

a) Applicant must be a current individual member of SEMC or a Category 1, 2 or 3 Institutional member of SEMC, or a member of a state museum association within the SEMC region with an operating budget of $500,000 and below at time of application
b) The internship must be at least six weeks long
c) The internship must be completed by May 1, 2026
e) Fund recipient will provide SEMC with the following deliverables upon completion of the internship:
• Summary report of completed internship
• A reflection article about the internship experience to be published in Inside SEMC or the monthly E-News.

Instructions:

a) Complete the application form, including all narrative questions
b) Attach a current operating budget, staff list, and Board list
c) Attach a detailed internship project plan

Please address:
• Intended timeframe for internship
• Type of internship (virtual, on-site, hybrid)
• Recruiting/selection process
• Description of internship project/projects
• Expected outcomes/goals
• Overview of supervisory role (how will staff manage the intern and include them in the organizational structure)
• How the organization will evaluate the intern/internship experience

Criteria:

The following factors will be considered by the Internship Fund Selection Committee:

a) Financial need
b) Strength of internship projects/overall intended internship experience
c) Geographic location

Deadline and Notification:

Applications must be submitted online by Friday, June 27, 2025.

Applications will be reviewed by members of the Internship Fund Selection Committee. All applicants will receive notification (via email) of the outcome by July 18, 2025.

Questions? Contact SEMC Handumy Jean Tahan Museums Fund Chair, Matt Davis at mdavis4@wlu.edu