Internship Program

Folklore courses for undergraduates should be as basic to a liberal education as Literature 101, Introduction to Psychology, and Calculus. Folklore should be as common at venerable Ivy League schools and small public colleges as at institutions with graduate programs in folklore. In this age, when we require educators at all levels to impart self-esteem and promote cultural diversity, where are the folklorists and their courses?—Varick Chittenden (from his "Upstate" column in VOICES, Vol. 27, No. 1-2.

New York Folklore Society
P.O. Box 764
Schenectady, NY 12301
518/346-7008
Fax 518/346-6617
nyfs@nyfolklore.org

Internship Program

Since 2000, the New York Folklore Society has administered support from the New York State Council on the Arts for an internship program for graduate students in folklore from throughout the United States. A competitive program, the internship provides an opportunity for graduate students in folklore to spend two months in a public sector folklore setting, conducting their own guided research and program planning. This program, which was highlighted in a 2003 forum at the American Folklore Society Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has proven successful in introducing new folklorists to the challenges of working in the public sector, and it helps them develop their skills by working alongside a seasoned folklorist. Organizations participating in the program receive assistance from an energetic graduate student who has completed graduate-level coursework in his or her chosen field.

Previous interns include:

Hilary Colter of the University of Oregon (Queens Council on the Arts)
Nicole Murray of Western Kentucky University (Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library)
Lara Serrano of Indiana University (Brooklyn Arts Council)

Independent folklore organizations and established folklore programs within arts agencies apply for the opportunity to host an intern; those chosen sites are then advertised to a pool of potential applicants.

2007
PAID INTERNSHIPS IN NEW YORK STATE
FOR FOLKLORE GRADUATE STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES
NOW AVAILABLE
The Folk Arts Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is now accepting applications for internships at three folk arts programs in New York State directed by folklorists. This internship program is coordinated by the NYSCA Folk Arts Program in association with the New York Folklore Society. Interns will learn first-hand about public folk arts programming through observing and participating in programs as well as ongoing administrative activities. They will be expected to undertake a special project related to the intern’s learning program for graduate study that will also benefit the host organization. The duration of each internship ranges from two to three months. Stipends will amount to $4500 - $5000, depending upon location. The stipend amount is intended to cover travel and lodging expenses as well as the intern’s fee – additional funding will not be provided for these expenses.

Applicants must be either students currently enrolled in a folklore graduate program or graduates of a folklore graduate program who received their degree within the past two years. Each intern and host organization will be expected to create a comprehensive internship plan and work agreement. Interns currently enrolled in a graduate program must create their internship plan in association with the intern’s graduate program. Following the internship, both the host organization and the intern must submit reports evaluating the internship.

To apply, submit a resume and a letter describing the potential benefits of an internship for the applicant’s career goals as a folklorist and its relationship to his or her graduate learning program. Indicate how previous experiences in programming, field research and/or administration would contribute to an organization hosting the internship. Applicants must list at least three choices for organizations with which they would like to intern, in order of priority. Selection of interns for each internship will be made by a committee made up of the host organization, NYSCA Folk Arts Program and New York Folklore Society.

Each internship is described below. Applications must be received by Noon, Monday March 5. Decisions on all applications will be made by mid-March. Send your application, on-line to rbaron@nysca.org.

CITY LORE, MANHATTAN – This internship will focus upon one or more of City Lore’s major ongoing projects, depending upon the intern’s interests. For the Living Archives Initiative, the intern would arrange, describe, scan and conduct follow-up interviews with the photographer of one of City Lore’s collections of photographs of New York City folklife, or work to digitize portions of City Lore’s collection of audio interviews. Another project could involve field research about places of historic and cultural value in the New York cityscape for the Census of Places that Matter of the Place Matters project. For the People’s Poetry Project, the intern could conduct both library and field research as well as assist with the development of public programs for Word Feast, a series of four ethnic poetry dinners highlighting oral poetry traditions from Trinidadian, Ukrainian, Pakistani and other New York City cultural communities, and an web site of world contemporary oral poetry traditions. The duration of this internship is 8 weeks, full time, to occur between the Summer and Fall of 2007. Stipend – $5000.

CULTURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF SYRACUSE AND ONONDAGA COUNTY – The intern will have the opportunity to participate in a major initiative to document and present traditions of contemporary communities along the Erie Canal. Several New York State folk arts organizations are involved in this project, which will include presentations occurring in multiple communities in the summer of 2007. The intern may design a fieldwork project and organize a local presentation reflecting his or her own research interests. During the internship, the intern will learn about the activities and administrative work of this arts service organization, meet with other CRC staff members, and experience such activities as fundraisers, board meetings, conferences, public hearings, equipment breakdowns, festivals and “rubber chicken” luncheons. Visits will be arranged to meet with working folklorists in other parts of New York State and observe their projects. The intern must have a car that would be used for this internship. The duration of this project is 8-12 weeks, 40 hours per week, to occur between the Spring and Fall of 2007. Stipend – $4500.

TRADITIONAL ARTS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, CANTON – A major regional arts center of the St. Lawrence Valley, this organization serves the North Country of New York State. Through this internship, the intern will coordinate one or more projects, and learn about the administration, operations and fiscal management of a non-profit folk arts organization. The projects could include coordination of a tour of a traveling tent containing exhibits and a demonstrating artist to regional festivals, participation in a field survey of tradition bearers in Jefferson County (including the city of Watertown as well as Lake Ontario and Thousand Island towns) and production of a DVD of images and video interviews about Hazel Tyrell, a noted songbird carver. This internship will also involve participation in planning the 15th annual Salute to North Country Legends, a regional heritage awards program; and assistance to photographer Martha Cooper in photographing 2007 heritage award recipients. The intern may attend local music and community festivals. Assistance will be provided for finding short term housing, and the intern will have access to field recording equipment. The intern must have a car that would be used for the internship. The duration of the internship is 8 weeks, 30 hours per week, occurring between early June and late August 2007. Stipend – $4500.