unpaid internship – American Alliance of Museums

Museopunks Episode 37: Experience doesn’t pay the rent

By Suse Anderson

Unpaid internships are commonplace in the museum world, supported by a culture that suggests “experience” and the chance to get “a foot in the door” are worth the sacrifice of time and lost earnings. This practice necessarily limits the …

Latest Stories from AAM

October Monthly Advocacy Alert: Government Shutdown, Save the Date for Museums Advocacy Day, and more

Advocacy Alert – October 17, 2025 In this Alliance Advocacy Alert: Government …

K-12 STEM Education, Museums, and Perceived Curricular Gaps: A 2025 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Data Story

This visual Data Story is based on findings from the 2025 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, …

Measuring What Matters: Vital Signs for Museums

More numbers don’t equal more insight. If your dashboard feels more like a data dump than …

AAM Members get exclusive access to premium digital content including:

Featured articles from Museum magazine
Access to more than 1,500 resource listings from the Resource Center
Tools, reports, and templates for equipping your work in museums

Your current membership level does not allow you to access this content.

Upgrade Your Membership

Subscribe to Field Notes!

Packed with stories and insights for museum people, Field Notes is delivered to your inbox every Monday. Once you've completed the form below, confirm your subscription in the email sent to you.

If you are a current AAM member, please sign-up using the email address associated with your account.

Are you a museum professional? Yes No

Are you a current AAM member? Yes No

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription, and please add communications@aam-us.org to your safe sender list.