Museum Education Practicum

The Studio Museum in Harlem will offer the Museum Education Practicum entirely as an online course for the upcoming season.

The application for the Spring 2022 Museum Education Practicum is now closed. See below for application instructions. Practicum is offered once a year and the next cohort will be in the Spring 2023 season.

We acknowledge that some of the physical, place-based elements of the Practicum will not entirely translate to the digital sphere, however we have shifted the program curriculum to continue to offer a dynamic and relevant platform for cultural practitioners excited to explore the intersection of art and education. Thank you for your consideration, we are truly thrilled to continue offering this unique professional development opportunity.

At The Studio Museum in Harlem, we believe that behind every transformative educational experience is a seasoned educator. The Museum Education Practicum provides an in-depth look at museum education from the guidance of the Studio Museum’s knowledgeable educators. This course is designed to provide emerging museum and arts educators with an intensive training program. The curriculum includes seminars, professional talks, presentations and opportunities to learn about our education programs. Participants gain firsthand experience facilitating and developing tactics and strategies that deal with adult, school, youth and family audiences. While exploring both theory and practice, participants will enter into a very specific conversation around artists of African descent, contemporary art practice and programmatic strategies.

Program benefits:

• Teaching experience based on inquiry-driven museum education models
• Access to museum professionals, leading curators, scholars, and academics
• Opportunity to be a part of the next generation of scholars and educators
• Opportunity to earn academic credit
• Experience building art-based curriculum

Applicants must have an interest or background in the following fields: Art History, Arts Education, Art Criticism, Museum Studies, Museum Education, Master of Fine Arts or Africana Studies.

All applicants must be able to commit to Wednesday evenings (5:00–7:30pm) throughout the duration of the 10-week program. The program uses Zoom for weekly meetings and Google Classroom as a learning platform for distributing readings and essential communications.  

Applicants are expected to submit the following materials in one PDF:

1. Resume
2. A link to your portfolio OR a writing sample from the past six months [maximum 2 pages]. The writing sample should highlight your potential fit into the program and can be about museums, visual art, or education. Candidates should submit a writing sample that complements their work and passions in the field.
3. A statement of intent that specifically answers the following three questions clearly [maximum 2 pages]:
   1. Describe your interest in the museum as a site for education. Why are you interested in the museum versus other educational models (i.e. classroom, etc.)?
   2. Please specify your areas of interest and their relationship to the museum’s mission, collection, and programming. How will you contribute to your cohort and the museum as a whole?
   3. What are your career goals and how can this program help you accomplish these goals? Please discuss an example, from your academic or professional career, which illustrates these goals.

The application for the Spring 2022 cohort is currently closed and decisions have been sent out. We unfortunately do not provide individual feedback for candidate applications. Applications for the Spring 2023 cohort will be open in February 2023.