Early Childhood Education (ECE) internship responsibilities include a blend of research, administrative, and instructional elements. Interns engage with students, ages 3 months to 5 years old. They gain teaching and public speaking experience through assisting and teaching classes. They develop lesson plan components including story time, gallery enrichment activities, sensory activities, and art projects. They perform research on works of art and artists represented in the VMFA collection and present tours for adults. They hone their organizational and administrative skills, keeping the studio spaces clean and orderly, performing data input, creating binders for classes, preparing materials for upcoming lessons, and keeping track of paperwork. During the summer, they gain framing experience by helping with preparation for the ECE annual student show. At the end of the internship, individuals exit the program more confident, skilled, and qualified.
Students applying for ECE internships should have some experience and/or interest in teaching young children, or currently seeking a degree in early childhood education, art education, or studio arts. Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to submit their Philosophy of Teaching statement.
The number of hours varies depending on whether students are receiving academic credit from their schools for the internship and depending on the program, project, and staff requirements. For the fall and spring semesters, a minimum of 8-12 hours are expected. Some evenings and weekends may be required. During the summer, the internships range from 24-40 hours per week. No stipends are provided.