Arthur Ross Gallery
Noel Palomino de la Torre
"I’ve learned a lot about the history of the Arthur Ross Gallery itself through my work of reading through a broad collection of exhibition catalogues, understanding how the trends have changed in terms of what is important to the gallery, and more generally the University of Pennsylvania, to showcase throughout the 42 years it has been open…I had the opportunity, among other tasks and projects, to conduct research for a future exhibition, develop a communications plan for the Instagram account, and produce an inventory of past exhibition catalogs."
ArtWell
Noah Kocher
"I worked to create a set of resources to prepare for the organization’s upcoming 25th anniversary, including photo and narrative archives, information from board leadership, and celebration ideas from other non-profits… I also did three interviews with artists on ArtWell’s board, and adapted each of those interviews into blog posts."
Jessica Lin
"I was a communications intern at ArtWell, which meant that I was involved with creating written and visual work to support ArtWell’s messaging. I wrote blog posts, designed graphics, and assisted with whatever communications-related needs they had. It was a great opportunity to get exposed to all the moving pieces of a nonprofit, as I also got experience with publishing to the website and seeing how the annual report was created."
Madeline Scott
"I worked with the development team, and I spent the majority of my time doing a research project on the benefits of art programs in summer camps as well as the social-emotional development within artmaking. I analyzed qualitative data from case studies and read literature reviews on the aforementioned subject matter and presented it in tandem with a summary of classroom survey responses in order to demonstrate the links between what kids enjoyed about aspects of the curricula and what studies have shown to be beneficial for their social-emotional development."
BalletX
BalletX did not have a SHIP intern in 2025. Below are quotes from the 2024 SHIP interns.
Jean Park
"For the first three weeks, there was a detailed list of things I had to complete that had to do with the operations and management of the organization. This included topics such as finance, board responsibilities, and donor relations…I was asked to improve existing programs and provide feedback which made my work feel valued…I was not only surrounded by dance and creativity, but I got to experiment with my own creativity. I got to take photos of their rehearsals for social media, help with marketing, and even assist during show week."
Mandy Zhang
"After the nonprofit management training, I was given the opportunity to work on two keystone projects, with my first one being marketing and merchandising. I worked closely with the marketing team and the digital media & design associate to evaluate the company’s current merchandising operations and come up with revisions and changes to implement for scaling opportunities. I found myself implementing the concepts I learned in my classes to this project. Additionally, BalletX’s summer series shows in July gave me the opportunity to assist in production and stage management at the Wilma Theater."
Read about the experience of 2023 BalletX intern, Ayesha Patel, in Penn Today.
BlackStar Projects
Jourdan Wright
"As a digital content production assistant, my work involved everything digital–from computer files to social media. I was part of both the communication and marketing teams, which do have some overlap for the Blackstar Film Festival. My most time-consuming project was helping them organize their photo archive of past festivals which I did during my “free time” when I didn’t have time-constrained tasks. For the communication aspect, I did partnership outreach for the festival, where I emailed different organizations in hopes of them joining us in co-promoting specific films."
Historic Germantown
Alyma Karbownik
"With Germantown being such a historic area of our country, I was excited to dive into the archives within HG where I explored old photographs, newspaper clippings, and even over century-old wedding dresses donated by residents in the area. I greatly valued the chance to also interact with town residents that came to visit the building where I worked, and was able to have meaningful conversations and learn more about the impact HG has on the people. Marcus Palm, the archivist and librarian at HG, was especially helpful in making sure that I got mentorship through the summer by offering career advice, as well as introducing me to the archives and helping me get accustomed to finding appropriate resources."
Institute of Contemporary Art
Maya Sethuraman
"I worked on everything from archival research to student and alumni programming. Each part helped me better understand the many parts that go into an exhibition…This experience also tied into my academic and personal goals by showing me how the skills I’ve built through research roles can apply in more creative and collaborative settings. It has enabled me to think more seriously about working at a nonprofit or cultural institution in the future, since I now understand how much research and behind-the-scenes planning goes into making exhibitions and programming possible."
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts / University Archives
Natalia Pallas
"My time at the Kislak Center has been very fulfilling and it has really made me consider a possible future in working at a library…Whether it was assisting with onsite work or collection management projects, I feel as if I have improved in my analytical skills and research abilities."
National Constitution Center
Helen Copple
"My experience involved working with teachers and members of the education team to better understand and communicate a non-partisan interpretation of the Constitution, Supreme Court Documents, and Founding Document. I had the opportunity to listen in on renowned constitutional scholar talks with figures such as Zachary Deibel, Eli Merritt, and Hasan Jeffries…I began to develop a new understanding and set of vernacular to use when discussing the Constitution, and I felt myself progress on a massive learning curve."
Sophie Gala
"I was pleasantly surprised to be able to develop a deeper understanding of the practices and perspectives of experienced, capable educators, which I plan to apply in my future classroom. In addition, I developed skills including professional writing, program organization, and group collaboration, which I plan to use in future work experiences."
Anna Lugovsky
"From sitting in on scholar talks to researching constitutional topics, I underestimated but appreciated how much of the internship was crafted around our personal intellectual enrichment…The internship format allowed me to learn from scholars, read primary sources, and pursue independent historical inquiries."
Deiya Pandya
"While I expected to work with topics such as civic education and civil dialogue, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the extent to which we engage directly with educators. I’ve also had the opportunity to hear from some of the nation’s leading constitutional scholars, and I’m incredibly grateful for the access I’ve had to such thoughtful and intellectually-stimulating conversations."
One Art
Heaven Cross
"During the summer, I created several short animations that One Art will be able to use in the future for their social media pages. From the very first day, the internship appealed to both my personal interest in the arts and my desire to engage with the greater Philadelphia community… As an intern at One Art, I’ve met many people who have been willing to support me in academic endeavors and social networking, and it has honestly been an even more enriching experience than my own efforts could have ever achieved in three years of college."
Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Sierra Williams
"At the Penn Cultural Heritage Center, I contributed to the Museums: Missions and Acquisitions (M2A) Project, a groundbreaking national study examining how U.S. museums ethically acquire, loan, and repatriate cultural material. I worked on data cleaning for a 500-museum dataset, ensuring consistency across institutional policies and practices, and later initiated a second project that tracked global repatriation cases using NexisUni. Alongside this research, I also participated in the Penn Museum’s Intro to Museum Practice seminars, which offered hands-on training in artifact handling, provenance research, and inclusive exhibition design." Read more about Sierra's experience at the Penn Museum in Penn Today.
Play On Philly
Hannah Choi
"Working alongside other interns and Teaching Assistants was also inspiring. They all shared a deep passion for teaching music, and our conversations about students and teaching strategies helped me learn so much. These relationships gave me a sense of belonging, and the advice and mentorship I received will stay with me well beyond this summer."
Sophia Leong
"My experience exceeded my expectations. I am incredibly grateful for the hands-on opportunities that my supervisor provided me in letting me take the reins on multiple projects. With his guidance and support, I gained experience in many aspects within the subject area of Communications and interacted with many staff members throughout the organization."
Scribe Video Center
Ebunoluwa Adesida
"I worked on multiple projects, including cataloging the Precious Places Community History Project archives, being an Oral History Conductor for the Power Politics Oral History Project, and researching photos for upcoming documentaries. Each of these projects introduced me to different hard skills, such as categorizing photo metadata or proper interview etiquette, but more importantly, I greatly valued the soft skills picked up from working in a professional environment.'
Spiral Q
Lily Grace
"I have learned a lot about materials and what it takes to complete a huge project, like building a 10-foot puppet. I have seen them up close and catalogued them, too! The more exciting things have been special days where we do get to help run a parade or do some screenprinting for a build."
Tatiana Williams-Martin
"One of the best parts about interning with Spiral Q was the community we formed. Going into the internship, we, the group of apprentices/interns, created a bucket list on which one of the items was to form meaningful relationships. We definitely accomplished this, and I think every other apprentice would agree with me."
University of Pennsylvania Art Collection
Nina Mayers
"I was able to work on everything from condition reporting and inventory work, to historical research and art installation. My supervisors included me in meetings and project planning, and truly made me feel like an integral part of the daily operations of the Art Collection. Gaining the experience I did through SHIP, I feel, has given me a crucial advantage in my future career in art conservation. I can now say that I have experience in collections management and handling works of art, as well as a number of contacts in the conservation world through my supervisors, which would have been difficult to establish without their support."
University of Pennsylvania Press
Samantha Hsiung
"Every week, I partook in a series of meetings where I heard and learned about books that were in process for publication…[The meetings] related to book cover design, transmittal processes, and editorial review...The most memorable part of my summer as an intern at the press took place…at the American Library Association’s annual conference—the largest library event in the world. The conference was situated inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, hosting hundreds of publishing houses, such as Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Penguin Random House, and more. At the Penn Press’s booth, I fielded questions from librarians and curious passersby, while sneaking away to visit other publishers’ booths."
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Alex Greenblatt
"I feel lucky to have worked with three amazing supervisors at the Weitzman who made me feel like a valued member of the team…Within the visitor experience department, I really enjoyed connecting with museum guests of all ages from school groups to senior living centers…It was so cool to meet our visitors and witness the museum's impact firsthand. My favorite memories are connecting with museum guests and sharing my excitement about our mission."
Jack Lamey
"[My supervisors] deeply advocated for my active participation in public relations initiatives. They granted me several opportunities to conduct independent research, and arrange presentations for interdepartmental staff members; I drafted Instagram reels, op-eds, and other promotional materials…This experience expanded my technological savviness. I learned to navigate webpage design within WordPress, utilizing this application to recreate Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American—a former exhibition—online. Furthermore, my proficiency in Microsoft Suite increased. I conducted multivariable analysis within Excel, pertaining to Weitzman’s surveys for public school educators: pivot tables captured feedback towards initiatives heightening Jewish-American inclusion in history curriculums."
WXPN Radio (88.5 FM)
Luiza Sulea
"The most surprising aspect of the internship was how much responsibility I was given beyond what I initially expected. I was certain my role would be limited to content creation based on the description, but I found myself working on sponsor communications, event logistics, and even strategy discussions across departments. I especially loved getting the opportunity to witness a live radio broadcast at a Phish concert!" Read more about Luiza's experience at WXPN in Penn Today.