Internships
The Southern Food and Beverage Museum offers unpaid internships for both graduate and undergraduate students as part of the Paul C.P. Mcllhenny Youth Mentorship Program. These internships can be filled year-round, and we fully cooperate with the student's institution to fulfill credit requirements. We are flexible with both the duration and start dates of these internships. As the museum has a small staff, all interns will be able to participate in a variety of activities, and will be given the opportunity to direct the course of their projects. The following internship descriptions are very basic, and each one can be tailored to suit the needs and curiosities of each student. If you are interested, please fill out the application form below and email your resume to info@southernfood.org.
Available Internships
Business Development
Work directly with Museum President to develop partnerships and create opportunities in New Orleans and the wider South. Intern will assist the President with creation of proposals, pitching documents, and presentations. Intern will learn fundraising strategy, relationship building, and how to prospect for and target potential donors. Intern should have basic proficiency in the Google suite of products.
Communications and Curatorial
The communications and curatorial intern works with the Museum's communications and curatorial teams to bring the Museum to life for our visitors and digital audiences. The C&C intern will assist with social media, newsletters, exhibit photography, basic graphic and digital design, and updates to the Museum's website. The C&C intern will gain experience writing about culinary subjects, developing and executing communications plans, and organizing a social media calendar and schedule. Intern should have basic proficiency in the Google suite of products.
Culinary Internship
The culinary intern will work with the Museum's Culinary Director on the planning and hosting SoFAB's cooking classes. Culinary intern will assist Chef Dee Lavigne in prepping, setting up, and hosting cooking classes in the Museum's Culinary Innovation Center. Intern will assist Chef Lavigne in coordinating her activities with the Southern Food & Beverage Museum and in scheduling private classes and demonstrations as the need arises. Intern should have basic proficiency in the Google suite of products.
Videography Intern
The SoFAB Video and Editing Intern will assist the SoFAB team on the production and filming of videos at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum. Projects may include virtual tours, videotaping classes or cooking experiences, and filming SoFAB events or other programs for social media. Intern must have their own camera and experience editing video. The team at SoFAB will work with you to develop a final project for your class or portfolio.
Graphic Design Intern/Digital Initiatives Internship
The graphic design intern assists Museum staff on the Museum's design and branding. The Museum produces dozens of pieces of creative work a month, and the graphic design intern will assist in the creation of digital and physical posters, flyers, newsletters, and other creative needs. Graphic design intern will also help create brand identities for Museum programs and activities as they arise. Design interns work will appear on Museum social media, websites, videos, blogs, podcasts, etc.
Collection/Research Internship
The Collections and Research intern assists Museum staff on cataloging and organizing our collection and artifacts, including cookbooks, objects, and menus. Additionally, research will be done to prepare for upcoming exhibits, finesse existing exhibits, writing labels, and preparing physical museum spaces for accessibility and public access.
Podcast Production Intern
The Southern Food & Beverage Museum is looking for a Podcast Production Intern to aid with the Museum’s Nitty Grits Podcast Network. Nitty Grits is a dynamic network of producers, hosts, and authors whose work examines food and drink in all its diversity across America. It produces and distributes a curated slate of audio and video podcasts, web series and other filmed entertainment, and publishing projects.
The Podcast Production Intern will support the network’s Executive Producer in the creation and execution of our podcasts and digital media promotional strategies. If the intern is already involved in podcasting, the Museum will provide our podcast studio to the intern at no expense.
To apply for these internships, please fill out the application form below. If you are not a student but are interested in working with the museum, please visit our volunteer page.
We have hosted interns from schools all over the country, including Yale University, Tulane University, University of Toronto, Duke University, University of New Orleans, Michigan State University, Universite de Angers, State University of NY, College of William and Mary, London School of Economics, Tufts University, Loyola Law, Roanoke College and Southern University of New Orleans. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the culture of the South through food and beverage, as well as a chance for you to see how a small but growing museum functions at the day to day level.