Looking for a summer internship?
The AAI Summer Internship program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to join the AAI intellectual community, attend intensive seminars and lectures, and assist in growing a small non-profit. Both tracks afford undergraduate students the opportunity to be involved in the enterprise of running a small non profit organization that is focused on humanities education. Interns will have access to high quality photography, videography, & podcasting equipment as well as industry standard software.
The ideal intern is community-minded, interested in the liberal arts, humanities, teaching, or non-profits in general. Interns will be able to receive both professional and intellectual formation during the course of the program. AAI’s team is supportive, encouraging interns to grow into their roles here and beyond.
The Institute offers two tracks for the internship program: Program Development and Special Projects Intern. We also offer a medical humanities internship through The Hippocratic Forum. All interns will attend three summer seminars, and assist with a fourth high school seminar. Day-to-day work will differ depending on track.
Program Development Intern
Do you have an idea for a reading group or podcast?
Do you want to learn how to build intellectual community?
The Program Development Intern will be tasked with brainstorming, collaborating on and producing materials for upcoming AAI programs, such as student led reading groups. The Program Development intern is expected to bring a project idea to AAI and execute it by the end of the summer, and selection of the intern will be based on this project proposal.
The ideal candidate for this track will have a strong background and interest in liberal arts, desire to cultivate this interest in others, ability to work independently, strong self-motivation, willingness to learn fundamentals of graphic design and flexibility of vision for the execution of program materials. At the end of the internship, the candidate will leave with the understanding of how a successful humanities project is executed, from initial planning to final execution. The intern will be trained on and gain knowledge of Canva, Squarespace, Social Media Platforms, and Adobe Programs as necessary.
Potential Project Goals
Research and develop AAI Fall Programming The Great Conversation: Women’s Voices
Develop personal reading group/podcast/video series/publication for the summer
Design and produce program materials on Canva
Assist with filming and program materials as needed
Social Media Marketing Improvement
Assist with production of event and program posters and materials
“The AAI internship offered continual opportunities for professional growth, and I honestly found myself floored by the willingness of the team to support and foster my intellectual interests and challenge me to take action and create something, to explore what leading a group would be like, and to facilitate the opportunity for me to learn and grow.
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What previous Program Development Interns have accomplished:
Gabrielle Landry, 2018
Gabby Landry was an intern with AAI the summer before her freshman year at Harvard College. She primarily focused on developing the Course Guide for the Harvard Humanist, AAI’s guide to the humanities at Harvard College. Gabby is in her senior year at Harvard College and is now an AAI John Aroutiounian Fellow.
Naomi LaDine, 2019
Naomi LaDine was an intern with AAI in 2019, during her time as a student at Furman University. Naomi led her own reading group of undergraduate students on C.S. Lewis’ Til We Have Faces. She also edited the Course Guide for the Harvard Humanist for the 2020 academic year.
Bridget Beck, 2022
Bridget Beck was an intern with AAI in 2022, after graduate from Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts. Bridget led her own reading group of undergraduate, graduate, and community members on Tolstoy’s War & Peace. She also edited The Great Conversation: Volume III for Fall 2022.
Special Projects Intern
Do you see yourself working for a non-profit after college?
Do you want a look behind the scenes?
The Special Projects intern will be tasked with assisting the Director of Operations. This role will involve re-organization of AAI donor and student files in our CRM platform, along with creation of an AAI Alumni Network and regular mailings to this group. The intern will learn grant-writing, work on our annual donor campaign, and present on this knowledge gained at the end of the seminar. It can also involve editing and updating the Harvard Humanist Course Guide, setting up a podcast studio at AAI, or creative writing for AAI’s Veritas Review Journal.
This role also includes work with two sub-programs. The Wollstonecraft Project will inolve the intern with its new publication, Fairer Disputations, by curating new essays, locating new authors, and other marketing efforts. The Practical Wisdom Project will involve the intern with the production of the Practical Wisdom Handbook. At the conclusion of the internship, the intern will have a firm grasp of the backend side of non-profit operations. The intern will be trained and gain a knowledge of MailChimp, Squarespace, FundraiseUp, and Bloomerang.
Potential Project Goals:
Website maintenance & IMprovement
Data Analysis of constituents in AAI’s CRM, Bloomerang
Creation of AAI alumni Network & online community Forum
AAI Grant opportunities located
“I am very grateful AAI facilitated and encouraged me to explore my academic interests through the Hippocratic Forum. Exploration of medical humanities and medical ethics is certainly a niche but very interesting area of study for me. AAI did a good job of encouraging and facilitating our intellectual growth. The numerous seminars, lectures, and scholars I came across were very helpful to foster intellectual growth.”
What previous Special Projects Interns have accomplished:
Mathieu Ronayne, 2019
Matt Ronayne was an intern with AAI during his time as a student at Boston College. Matt re-organized and digitized the AAI Library and developed the first edition of the Boston College Course Guide, a guide to the humanities at Boston College.
Alexandra Rider, 2021
Alex Rider was an intern with AAI during her time as a student at Hillsdale College. Alex developed the first Guide to Boston for the Harvard Student, which launched Fall 2022.
Noah Hoonhout, 2022
Noah Hoonhout was an intern with AAI during his time as a student at Hillsdale College. Working with both AAI & the Hippocratic Forum, Noah developed the first AAI Annual Report, to be released January 2023.
Hippocratic Forum Intern
Are you a pre-medical student?
Interested in the ethics behind the medical profession?
The intern for the Hippocratic Forum will work on special projects for the summer. These will include development of the mentorship program for undergraduate pre-medical students, medical students, and residents. They will also be responsible for developing content for the next set of podcasts focusing on virtues in medical practice. Interns will have the opportunity to also work on articles/manuscripts for publication on the topics of ethics and professionalism in medicine as well as virtue and character development in medicine. This internship is ideal for an undergraduate with strong writing abilities, interested in medical humanities, and planning to apply to medical school.
More Details and Information:
Interns will receive guidance and mentorship for these tasks from AAI full time staff, and will assist with other administrative and programmatic tasks as necessary. In addition to these tasks, interns are afforded the opportunity to learn the basics of non-profit fundraising and finances from AAI Director and Operations Director.
During the duration of the internship, interns are considered integral members of the AAI team, and take part in most staff meetings and discussions. Interns can expect twice-weekly meetings and detailed goal-setting. Due to the number of seminars this year, interns will be allowed a Friday reading day, where they will not be expected to come into the office and can enjoy Harvard’s many libraries, beautiful campus, and coffee shops for some summer reading.
Interns also have the opportunity to receive intellectual formation via the following programming:
Regular weekly programming: interns are able to attend and participate in all regular programming
Assisting with the AAI summer seminar for high school students, Common Good in the Digital Age
Interns have the opportunity to attend the AAI summer seminars: Theorizing Man and Woman: From Plato to Judith Butler, Foundations of Political Economy, & The Machine has No Tradition: A Seminar on Technology & Politics
Regular engagement with the intellectual community of Harvard and Greater Boston
Who can apply?
Internships are open to current undergraduates or students that graduate Spring ‘23
Housing is not provided
Applicants must submit both resume & cover letter to be considered
Compensation: Internships carry a stipend of $4,000
Application Deadline: February 10th
Notify Date: February 17th
Internship Dates: 10 Week Internship, May 30th – August 11th (dates are ideal, flexibility is possible)
The Abigail Adams Institute follows all local and state ordinances regarding Covid-19. Please see https://www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 for details on Cambridge, MA covid restrictions and guidance.