Interpretation & Engagement Fellow

Chicago History Society•Chicago, IL

5d•$0 - $50,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Chicago History Museum seeks a curious, organized, and community-centered Interpretation Fellow to support the development and implementation of Everyday Sacred, a multi-year exhibition series that explores places of memory, memorial, ritual, and belief in and around Chicago through stories of communities that have used, repurposed, and preserved these spaces over time. Drawing on Chicago's legacy as a city of many faiths, cultures, and traditions, Everyday Sacred invites audiences to consider what makes a place sacred, why certain places are preserved and reused, and how communities continue to shape the meaning of these spaces across generations. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity for emerging professionals interested in public history, community engagement, museum education, arts engagement, cultural heritage, religious studies, or public humanities. The Fellow will gain hands-on experience in community-based research, program development, exhibition interpretation, facilitation, storytelling, evaluation, and partnership building while working alongside museum staff, artists, educators, faith leaders, and community organizations. Reporting to the director of education and in close collaboration with the curator of Everyday Sacred, the ideal candidate will possess an understanding of faith-based, religious, and community-informed places and an appreciation for the importance of these spaces in shaping individual and collective identity. Everyday Sacred explores places of memory, memorial, ritual, and belief in and around Chicago through stories of communities that used, repurposed, and preserved these spaces over time. Through exhibitions, public programs, storytelling initiatives, and community partnerships, the project invites visitors to consider what makes places meaningful and how communities carry histories forward through preservation, adaptation, memory, and care. The Interpretation Fellow will play a vital role in helping connect community knowledge, museum collections, and public audiences, ensuring that Everyday Sacred reflects the many ways Chicagoans create, sustain, and share sacred spaces in everyday life.

Requirements

Current undergraduate student, graduate student, recent graduate, or emerging professional in: History, Museum Studies, Public Humanities, Religious Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Education, Arts Administration, Community Engagement Cultural Heritage Studies, Or a related field.
Demonstrated interest in public history, museums, education, arts engagement, or community-based work.
Familiarity with faith-based institutions, sacred spaces, cultural landscapes, or community-centered places.
Experience working with diverse communities and audiences.
Flexible and adaptable; able to independently prioritize and manage shifting responsibilities.
Comfortable positively and professionally representing the Chicago History Museum in community settings.
Organized with exceptional attention to detail.
Proficient using technology including laptops, tablets, and presentation equipment.
Proficient with software platforms such as Google Workspace, Salesforce, TriNet, and other information management systems.
An effective verbal and written communicator with strong interpersonal and customer service skills.
Comfortable conducting administrative work as well as engaging directly with the public.
Able to adapt communication styles for diverse audiences and community contexts.
Passionate about history, community engagement, and the role museums play in civic life.
Compassionate and empathetic when working with people from various backgrounds, faith traditions, identities, and age groups.
Motivated to develop new professional skills and learn through collaborative, community-centered work.
Interested in exploring how museums can support dialogue, preservation, storytelling, and belonging.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain relationships with community organizations, faith communities, preservation advocates, artists, educators, and cultural partners connected to Everyday Sacred.
Represent the Chicago History Museum at community meetings, programs, and partnership gatherings.
Support outreach efforts to ensure broad community participation and representation.
Coordinate communication and logistics with project stakeholders and community partners.
Assist in planning and facilitating community storytelling workshops and community asset-mapping activities.
Collect and synthesize community stories, perspectives, and feedback to inform exhibition interpretation and public programming.
Builds and maintains productive working relationships with museum staff, community partners, artists, educators, and stakeholders.
Support the planning, coordination, and implementation of public programs related to Everyday Sacred.
Assist with the development of museum-based and community-based programs, including Author talks, Lectures, Film screenings, Performances, Panel discussions, Family and youth programs, Community conversations, Artist-led workshops.
Prepare program materials, participant resources, and facilitation tools.
Collaborate with museum staff and community partners to develop engaging and accessible audience experiences.
Support visitor engagement activities before, during, and after public programs.
Document community workshops, meetings, public programs, and engagement activities.
Organize project records, notes, photographs, stories, and other materials generated through the exhibition process.
Assist with maintaining project documentation and information management systems.
Contribute to reflective learning and internal reporting efforts.
Support the collection and analysis of participant feedback and community insights.
Coordinate logistics for community workshops, public programs, and special events.
Assist with event scheduling, registration, room setup, supplies, and day-of-event coordination.
Facilitate visitor and participant experiences during workshops and programs.
Support the successful execution of storytelling workshops and community asset-mapping sessions.
Ensure programs are welcoming, organized, and accessible to diverse audiences.
Troubleshoot logistical challenges and provide excellent customer service to participants and partners.
Serve as a liaison between museum staff and community stakeholders participating in the exhibition.
Foster collaborative and respectful relationships with faith leaders, community members, artists, educators, and cultural organizations.
Support the co-creation of exhibition content by incorporating community perspectives and lived experiences.
Participate in meetings with project advisors and community partners.
Help communicate project goals, opportunities, and outcomes to stakeholders.
Assist in developing and administering surveys and feedback tools.
Track attendance, participation, and engagement metrics for programs and workshops.
Compile participant feedback and evaluation data.
Contribute to reports assessing program impact and community engagement outcomes.
Help identify lessons learned and recommendations for future initiatives.
Supporting the facilitation of community storytelling and asset-mapping workshops that explore places of memory, ritual, belief, gathering, and preservation.
Producing interpretive narratives for five community locations that will be featured within the Everyday Sacred exhibition.
Conducting research using Chicago History Museum collections and archival resources.
Developing accompanying research guides that connect each featured community location to relevant objects, photographs, archival materials, oral histories, and other resources from the museum's collections.
Collaborating with museum staff and community partners to ensure narratives reflect both historical research and community perspectives.