By Jayme Schlimper, Overnight Program Manager and Curator of Education Collections

Hi! I’m Jayme and I don’t come here (the blog) often, but I’m psyched to be here. I wanted to talk about some awesome opportunities we have for college students that many people don’t even know we have! It’s a shame, and I’m here to fix it! First, there’s a little bit you need to know about me. I promise it will all make sense in the end!

I work down in the Youth Education department down in the basement, where we teach labs, scout classes, summer camps and much more every single day. A lot of people don’t know about all the learning that goes on down on the lower level of the museum. I know I certainly didn’t until a little twist of fate brought me to the museum one day back in 2014 and threw me in the path of some very friendly animal caretakers working in the Shark! exhibit. They don’t remember this (and yes – I have asked them about it) but they gave me the tip that would lead me to the first of my many positions here at HMNS.

I got my first internship here in the summer of 2015 as the Summer Camp Resource Coordinator. My job was to make sure all 30+ summer camp classes we have running at any given time have all the supplies that they need to have an amazing week. The skills and experience I got over the course of just one summer still blows my mind and I made friends that I couldn’t have imagined. Plus, I got to make a weekly Jell-o brain, sort sheep eyeballs and deliver top secret messages. Safe to say, no two days that summer were the same and I could count on something exciting to happen in the office. Heck, I can still count on that today! In 2016 I was fortunate enough to be asked back for another summer internship as the Summer Camp Assistant Coordinator, tasked with going between both our Summer Camp and Summer Scout programs. I got to learn about the Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs and what it really takes to keep this museum going all summer.

Since then I have worked as an Outreach presenter teaching kids about a ton of amazing things! Seriously! Bugs, wildlife, dinosaurs, space, chemistry, landforms, energy, fossils, plants, water – you name it, we got it! Best part, is I get the opportunity to continue learning every day which is truly the coolest thing about any job if you ask me. I’ve also recently taken on my newest role; Overnight Coordinator and Curator of Education Collections. So many new things to learn, new opportunities to tackle, and skills to gain. I’m now fortunate enough to be in charge of finding the perfect people for the very internships I had years ago. I’m hoping that some of you out there might think that being an intern here sounds pretty cool. I am here to tell you that I’m looking for some bright, curious minds to help us this summer, so if you or a friend feels like this is the place for you, check out our summer internships here. I promise, it’ll be an adventure for sure.