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Summer Museum Intern

Friends of Drake Well, Inc.

205 Museum Lane Titusville, PA 16354

ra-phdrakewell@pa.gov | (814) 827-2797 | www.drakewell.org

Friends of Drake Well, Inc.’s Summer Museum Intern Program is for students who are:

Attending college/university at time of application and have completed at least one year of classes in college/university at the start of the internship. Recent college graduates (December 2025 or May 2026 grad date) are also encouraged to apply.
Working toward a degree in Museum Studies, History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Education, Sciences (Chemistry, Environmental, Geology, etc.) or a related field of intellectual inquiry.
Interested in learning different aspects of a functioning museum, including but not limited to educational programming, curatorial/archival skills, outreach programming, and non-profit administration.
Ability to work independently and as a team player.
Must have broad range of computer skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Word is required.
Ability to work weekends. Interns may also work occasional evenings as needed.
Articulate, organized, detail-oriented, self-starter, creative, not afraid to work with your hands and tools.
Ability to multi-task, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and exceed guests’ expectations in a confident and calm manner.
Be outgoing, friendly, and have good guest relation skills.
Ability to provide their own transportation to and from the internship. Transportation and housing will not be provided by Drake Well Museum and Park.

Upon acceptance into the Summer Museum Internship, interns are required to have background checks and clearances before their start date. The costs of the clearances can be reimbursed to the student upon submission of receipts/proof of payment. Drake Well Museum and Park can provide interns with the proper paperwork if requested. Interns are also required to take Mandatory Reporter training, which is a free online course. Information on Mandatory Reporter training will be provided to the intern by Drake Well Museum and Park.

The Summer Museum Internship program offers:

Introduction and training in the many different aspects of the museum field.
Flexible hours, based on the needs of the site and the intern’s schedule.
Professional development; training and orientation.
Practical professional experiences.
Free general admission to Drake Well Museum & Park and Historic Pithole City during internship.
Free admission to events.
10% discount at the Museum Store.
Recommendation letters from staff and documentation of hours served, if needed.
Work schedule of a maximum 250 hours between May 2026 and August 2026.
$17.31 per hour, no benefits.

Summer Museum Interns’ Purpose or Project:

To support the staff of Drake Well Museum & Park and Friends of Drake Well, Inc., in the research, planning, and implementation of its mission statement, calendar of events, and collections.  There will be two (2) Museum Interns.

Their responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Working with the Museum Educator who will provide a plan of work to introduce and train the interns in many of the basic tasks in Museum Education. Interns will aid in the development of educational materials for the museum’s social media (Facebook and YouTube) and in the interpretation of the rich history of Historic Pithole City. Interns will also work together to research and aid in the development and implementation of the Discovery Days children’s summer camp, held on Thursdays in July.
Working with the Museum Curator who will provide hands-on training to the interns on proper handling of artifacts, accessioning and cataloging objects and archival materials, and other curatorial skills. Interns will also work together to research and aid in the development and implementation of a temporary exhibit which will be displayed in the site’s Multi-Purpose Room from Summer 2026 to Summer 2027. Interns will also have the opportunity to assist in the maintenance and upkeep of outdoor exhibits and collections with the Curator and Site Maintenance Staff. Basic knowledge in the trades is a plus.
Working occasionally with the Museum’s Outreach Coordinator, assisting with the planning and implementation of outreach initiatives and accompanying the Coordinator on outreach excursions as needed.
Working occasionally with the Executive Director of the Friends of Drake Well, Inc., to learn the basics of non-profit management including but not limited to marketing, database management, and event planning.

Interns will also work with various volunteers and staff from Drake Well Museum & Park and the Friends of Drake Well, Inc. and they may be assigned to work on other projects as needed.

All interns are required to work at the Historic Pithole City site one day each weekend. Tasks at Pithole include providing guided tours to visitors and assisting the Pithole Coordinator with the interpretation and operation of the site.

Interns will generally work between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a half-hour lunch; hours may vary depending on programs or events the interns are involved in.

Interns must provide their own transportation and housing. Drake Well Museum & Park is located near Titusville, Pennsylvania, which is an hour from Erie and two hours from Pittsburgh and Cleveland. There is no public transportation to the Drake Well Museum & Park and Historic Pithole City site; therefore, having a personal vehicle or someone to transport the intern to the site is a must. A list of potential local housing opportunities can be provided to the applicant upon request.

To Apply:

Applicants must apply online at https://joinhandshake.com/. Applicants will be asked to submit the following items as part of their application to be considered for an internship at Drake Well Museum & Park:

Cover letter
Current resume with three references

Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted. Failure to comply with the above application requirements will eliminate you from consideration for this position.  Deadline for application is February 9, 2026.

In the selection of interns, there shall be no discrimination against an otherwise qualified individual on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law. Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

Friends of Drake Well, Inc., is a non-profit community-based organization that actively supports Drake Well Museum & Park, administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Contact: Sarah Goodman, Museum Educator/Volunteer Coordinator, (814) 461-0005 or sargoodman@pa.gov.