The NAGARA Internship Program endeavors to match under-served local or state archival or records programs and/or institutions with students interested in careers in archival and/or records management. The internship will provide a $3,000 stipend to a student matched with defined projects at a desiring institution. In addition to providing an institution and student an opportunity for collaboration, the program also seeks to create good will with institutions and students where both parties can learn from each other and from the experience.
Institutions are responsible for soliciting and identifying student candidates, however NAGARA will assist with standardized applications and promotional language.
Applications for NAGARA's 2025 Internship Program will open later this year (October/November 2024).
Institutional Criteria
- Applying institutions must either be active members of NAGARA or have at least one staff person who is an active member of NAGARA.
- The primary focus of the program is on local government organizations with demonstrated practice of archival/records management tenets; however, state agencies are also encouraged to apply.
- Preference will be given to institutions that lack funding to facilitate a paid internship.
- Project work of the student must not exceed 150 hours.
- Applying institutions must submit a proposal for the internship that outlines the scope of the project, duties and responsibilities of the student, and approximate timeline for project completion. Institutions should make sure that the project is discreet and can foreseeably be completed in the 150 hours allotted. The proposal should provide as much information as possible as to both the benefits to the community/institution of the completion of the project, as well as specific archival or records management-related skills that will be acquired by the student. Writing the proposal similar to a job posting may be one way to describe the specific duties, responsibilities, and of the student. Please note that the project must focus on an archival or records management project and not a general office internship.
- Applying institutions must provide the name of the individual who will supervise the student, along with a CV of relevant related work.
- Applying institutions will be responsible for advertising and identifying student candidates for the intern position. NAGARA will be involved in the selection process of the intern.
- The institution selected must submit to NAGARA a midterm and final report stating work accomplished.
- NAGARA will work with the selected institution to discuss the timeline of soliciting applications and acquiring a student intern. The student intern must be new to the institution; current employees, former employees, or volunteers cannot apply.
- NAGARA will supply the selected institution with a standardized student application.
- The student must follow the internship student rules as defined by NAGARA.
- The start date and work hours of the internship may commence as soon as convenient after the award with dates and hours decided upon mutually between the institution and the student. The internship must conclude by the end of August following the award.
- If the student is receiving academic credit for the internship, the university may have additional criteria for institutional reporting.
- Upon favorable completion of the internship, institutions and students are expected to write an article about their experience for the NAGARA quarterly newsletter.
- NAGARA will manage direct payment of the stipend with the student.
Consider these two past redacted applications as a reference: EXAMPLE A | EXAMPLE B