Latino Museum Futures Internship, Smithsonian: The National Museum of the American Latino, (Washington D.C.)
Posted March 25, 2026
Description
The Latino Museum Futures Internship, previously known as the Latino Museum Studies Program, prepares emerging professionals to enter museum careers. Interns get hands-on experience at the Smithsonian or at the National Gallery of Art. Through our cohort-model, interns take part in interactive sessions, workshops, and behind the scenes tours. LMFI interns learn from and alongside museum practitioners who are shaping the documentation and interpretation of Latino art, history, and culture.
Each year, internship projects offered through LMFI may focus on one or two of the following areas:
- Collections management and registration
- Museum conservation
- Museum education and interpretation
- Digital technologies in the humanities
- Exhibition design, fabrication and production
- Museum curation
Internship Practicum
LMFI interns spend 11 weeks contributing to Smithsonian or National Gallery of Art projects. Each practicum is designed with specific learning goals in a specialized museum area. Through learning by doing, interns gain technical skills and expertise and contribute their ideas, creativity, and skills. Throughout the program, host supervisors offer mentorship and coaching guided by the intern’s learning goals.
Museum Futures Interactives
LMFI interns participate in Museum Futures Interactives, a series of weekly sessions designed to help interns build a comprehensive foundation in museum practice. While the individual practicums offer interns a deep-dive experience in specialized museum subfields, these sessions provide a holistic view of the field. Interactives include behind-the-scenes tours, case study discussions, and professional development workshops that provide interns with tools to navigate the museum field.
The Museum Futures Interactives take place during the full first week of the program and every Friday thereafter. Interactives are facilitated by Smithsonian staff, program alumni, and professionals from the cultural heritage sector across Washington, DC and nationwide.
Built-in Community
Through our unique cohort model, interns learn alongside peers who are trained in various disciplines and come from various entry points into the museum field. Program-provided housing also offers a unique live-in learning community. Interns learn to build and nurture professional support networks, and as they launch their careers, they join an alumni community of over 350 professionals working in cultural institutions nationwide.
Eligibility Requirements
- If you are a recent grad or current student (Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or terminal Master’s) and you meet the eligibility criteria below, are pursuing museum careers, and are passionate about Latino art, history, and culture we want to hear from you.
- Applicants must be enrolled (or have recently graduated from) an accredited U.S. college or university and pursuing an associate’s, bachelor’s, or terminal master’s degree at the time of application. Recent graduate is defined as having graduated no earlier than a year prior to the application deadline.
- Applicants must have authorization to work in the United States.
- The National Museum of the American Latino does not use racial or ethnic classifications or preferences in selecting awardees for the internship.
Program Support
The National Museum of the American Latino offers the following financial support to participants:
- Round-trip travel to Washington, D.C. from within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico)
- Shared housing for the duration of the 12-week program
- A $550 weekly stipend to support local transportation and meals
How to Apply
Key Dates
- Application opens: Early March
- Deadline to apply: Monday, April 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST
- Selection Notification: June 2026
- Program Dates (2026): Monday, August 31 to Friday, November 20 (12 weeks)
More information on the process can be found at the website here: https://latino.si.edu/learn/internships-and-fellowships/latino-museum-futures-internship.