Semester of Service Volunteer - Museum Collections & Public Engagement Volunteer
Make an impact while you learn. The Semester of Service Program offers students a volunteer project-based opportunity to support Federal missions, gaining hands-on experience & valuable career-ready skills. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution & participation must be with the permission of the institution at which the student is enrolled.
Major duties
This vacancy announcement will be open from 9/21/2026 to 9/25/2026 or when 25 applications have been received. The vacancy will close on whichever day the first of these conditions are met. If the application limit is reached on the same day the announcement opened, the open and close date will be the same. Candidates are encouraged to read the entire announcement before submitting their application packages. The National Museum of American Diplomacy (NMAD) is seeking two Semester of Service volunteers to participate in a project focused on improving access to museum collections and strengthening educational and visitor engagement. Working across NMAD's Curatorial, Programming, and Operations teams, volunteers will contribute to a defined set of project activities that support the preservation, organization, digitization, and public presentation of museum resources. Volunteers will photograph designated collection items and prepare materials for inclusion in the museum's collections database; organize and clean up designated digital collection files; assist with the preparation of educational materials; and develop ideas for social media and other public-engagement content based on NMAD exhibits and collections. Volunteers will also gain experience with the museum's Diplomacy Simulation Program and visitor-engagement practices while supporting the presentation of museum spaces. By the conclusion of the service period, volunteers will have produced tangible collection documentation, educational materials, and public-engagement content that can be used by NMAD to enhance access to its collections and connect visitors and broader audiences with the history and practice of American diplomacy. This project provides students with hands-on experience in museum collections, educational programming, communications, and public engagement while developing skills in research, organization, writing, and project execution.
Qualifications
Applicants will be considered based on their knowledge, skills or abilities related to project needs. Specifically, applicants should: Oral communication skills for interacting with visitors and team members Organizational skills for file cleanup, metadata entry, and maintaining collection records Ability to work collaboratively as part of a cross-functional team (Curatorial, Programming, Operations) Ability to exercise creativity in generating public-engagement and social media concepts Ability to adapt communication style for different audiences (visitors, educators, general public) Ability to learn and apply new software/database tools quickly
Education
To qualify, you must be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution for the Spring 2027 semester. You also must be in good academic standing as defined by your institution. Attach a copy of your transcripts to your application package for verification. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 out of 4.0 scale.
Requirements
Conditions of employment To participate in this Program, you must: Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S National studying in the U.S. or abroad. International students on valid visas may participate if they meet applicable immigration, visa, and agency authorities. Be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution for the Spring 2027 semester. Be in good academic standing as defined by your institution. Commit to volunteering 8 – 20 hours per week for a minimum of 90 days. Complete all required onboarding documentation assigned by the Federal agency and your academic institution. Agree to volunteer. This position is unpaid. No compensation, stipends, or hiring preference will be granted from this work. You may use this volunteer experience to qualify for future jobs you choose to apply for. Agree to understanding volunteers are not Federal employees. Must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 out of 4.0 scale.