Internship at the Smithsonian

I’ve been working towards a post-baccalaureate degree in Heritage Resource Management since September 2014. There were eight courses to complete, along with a 400-hour practicum project. I have finished the eight textbook-based courses and now I have the 400-hour practicum remaining.

I am very excited to say that I will be completing my practicum with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.; specifically I will be at the Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. This is a 10-week practicum placement, and it is unfortunately unpaid.

I am fully responsible for paying for the entire cost of the 10-weeks, including finding accommodation. As I am finding out during my search for accommodations, Washington, D.C., is a very expensive place to live – more so with the fact that the Canadian dollar is still very low.

Why is it important that you fund me? This is an once-in-a-lifetime trip for me. There will never be another chance for me to work at the Smithsonian. It is a prestigious institute, and the education and training I will receive at the Smithsonian is applicable to my future here in Calgary, and Alberta. There is so much to learn about conservation practices, archival needs, and heritage policies. All this information is applicable to the Calgary heritage environment (libraries, archives, cultural centres, historic buildings and districts) given that Calgary and Alberta are still so very young in the context of heritage conservation and preservation.

By the time I start my placement at the Smithsonian on September 20, I will also be unemployed. My current contract with the Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary, ends on September 15. I have enjoyed my time immensely here, but the contract cannot be extended. Therefore, I am in need of funds to supplement the limited amount of income I will have and the scholarship that I received.

It will cost me $10,000 to live for 10-weeks in Washington, D.C.

·         Roundtrip flight - $555.21 (CND $)

·         Accommodations - $1,200/month (USD $)

·         Food -$600/month (USD $)

·         Bus/train pass - $200/month (USD $)

·         Study Permit - $160 (USD $)

·         Insurance - $445 (CND $)

·         Tuition - $2,000 (CND $)

·         Incidentals - $1,000  (USD $)

The scholarship I receive is worth $7,000, but I only get $6,000 as $1,000 is paid to the Smithsonian as a program fee. So I am looking for an additional $4,000 in funds, as soon as possible - preferrably by September 5, 2017. 

I am not able to fund the trip myself as all my available funds are going to every day monthly bills I still need to pay while away, and repayment to a student line of credit. I used a student line of credit to fund other parts of my masters’ studies, but as of June 2017, I am now expected to start repaying that loan. The bank demanded the repayments as I was not enrolled in a course, and I wasn’t notified of my practicum placement until August 2017. I also don’t qualify for government student loans because deadlines have passed to apply. Also, there are no scholarships, awards, or other bursaries available to me because again the deadlines have passed, or my faculty has to nominate me. While my GPA is a 3.77 overall, the deadlines have passed for faculty nominations and I need money now to pay for rent and food.

I am very thankful to the Associate University Librarian, Christine Sowiak, at the University of Calgary for writing such a heartfelt and honest letter of recommendation for my initial application to the Smithsonian. Read her words for yourself in the daily blog!

Thank you all so very much for your support throughout the years. I look forwards to beginning a new chapter of my life.