The Center provides undergraduate students with graduate-level experience in the museum, archives, and library fields. Students receive hands-on, resume-building training in collections management, archival processing, exhibition development, and more. The Center is a national leader in mentoring emerging Indigenous museum professionals with valuable professional connections to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), The Andrew W. Mellon Diversity in Conservation Program, and the Association of Tribal Libraries, Archives, and Museums (ATALM).
“My opportunity to personally work with the collections, staff, and guest curators has enriched my path tenfold. The work I’ve done at the Center has introduced me to the minute details of running a museum and taking care of diverse cultural materials. I have made unique connections that I will take with me once I graduate and am unbelievably blessed with how much I have learned during my time here!”
Student Internships
Our internship opportunities can benefit more than just art, history, and anthropology majors. Cultural institutions also need students with expertise in business management, graphic design, education, chemistry, and more. Our internships and work-study positions are a strong asset to any resume. A past student, for instance, successfully translated the attention-to-detail needed in their archives internship into a job in accounting.
Most of our student internships are for class credit and are facilitated through Fort Lewis College’s academic departments or Career Services. These internships are usually 50, 100, or 150 hours depending on the number of credits. Students should talk with their academic advisor to learn more about the requirements for their department.
The Center also offers a few paid internships, generally reserved for experienced students. These include the Bell Internship supported by Greg and Karen Bell, the John W. Sanders Internship supported by the San Juan Basin Archaeological Society (SJBAS), and paid opportunities funded through our Center of Southwest Studies Internship Fund.
Work-Study Opportunities
Gallery Attendants
Gallery attendants at the Center of Southwest Studies provide an invaluable service to Fort Lewis College and the public by creating a welcoming and informative environment for all visitors while overseeing the safety of exhibited collections. Gallery attendants are paid, receive ongoing yearlong training, and gain experience toward potential museum and gallery careers in addition to sharpening broader community engagement and customer service skills.
Gallery attendants work 2-3 shifts/ 8-12 hours per week during the galleries’ fall and spring semester and are supervised by the Center of Southwest Studies' Curator.
Gallery attendants work with museum staff to:
- Make sure the collections on exhibit are kept safe
- Help visitors have safe, enjoyable museum visits
- Prepare the facilities for visitors, usually by setting up and breaking down furniture
- Help keep the museum clean
Museum Student Workers
Museum student workers provide an invaluable service to Fort Lewis College and the public by caring for collections held in the public trust, providing research access, and supporting exhibits and programming. Museum student workers are paid, receive hands-on training, and gain experience toward potential museum, archives, and library careers as well as professional skills that can be applied to any field.
Museum student workers work 2-3 shifts/ 8-12 hours per week during the fall and spring semester and are supervised by the Center of Southwest Studies' Curator.
Museum Student Workers assist with all museum activities including:
- Collections management
- Exhibit development and installation
- Programming and educational outreach
- and more…
Archives & Research Library Student Workers
Archives and research library student workers work 2-4 shifts/ 8-12 hours per week during the fall and spring semester and are supervised by the Center's Archives Manager and Archives & Library Specialist.
Archives and research library student workers assist with all Delaney Research Library and Archives activities, including:
- Collections management
- Reference/circulation desk
- Library-oriented duties
- Programming and educational outreach
- and more…
What is it like to work at the Center? Learn more about our alumni and where they are today!