The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is a District of Columbia Government agency that provides grant funding and capacity building support to individual artists and cultural organizations in the city. CAH is seeking dynamic undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in arts management to intern in its Arts Education, Communications, Culture and Community, Events, Grants, Public Arts, and Resource Allocation Departments for Summer 2026.
Hours: Academic Year Internship: Varies (minimum 8 hours/week)
Reports to: Arts Education Coordinator and Department Head
Attends: All Staff Meetings (ad hoc); Department Meetings (weekly); Commissioner Committee Meetings (ad hoc)
Pay: CAH provides a one-time stipend of $2,500.00, disbursed at the conclusion of the internship tenure
ARTS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
The Arts Education Intern works closely with the Arts Education team to assist in the administrative duties of various Arts Education initiatives including; Poetry Out Loud, Arts for the aging, Field Trip Experiences Initiative, Professional Development Institute resources mapping, and arts education grant management support.
Scope of responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Preparation, organization, and maintenance of Arts/Humanities Education Project (AHEP) and District Arts and Humanities Initiative: Field Trip Experiences grant applications, reports, and budgets;
- Preparation of, and participation in, professional development workshops for agency grantees;
- Assistance in the coordination of NEA’s Poetry Out Loud program with DC high schools;
- Coordination between schools and arts organizations/individual teaching artists as part of arts education department summer/fall initiatives.
COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
The Communications Department Intern works closely with the Public Affairs manager to cover a variety of administrative responsibilities. The intern has basic to beginner knowledge of required skills mentioned below, except for written and verbal skills.
- Basic knowledge of AP Writing Style.
- Excellent verbal and written skills.
- Basic knowledge of design software (Canva, Adobe CS, Microsoft Publisher).
- Research skills using multiple search engines.
- Basic knowledge of Social Media platforms, X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube.
- Some interest in the news cycles for both broadcast and print.
CULTURE & COMMUNITY DEPARTMENT
The Culture and Community Department (C&C) works closely with the Special Advisor on projects related to community engagement, external partnerships, government relations, and agency-wide experiential learning. The intern will support the coordination of onsite and offsite data gathering initiatives, support hands-on community-centered activities, and support cultural documentarian efforts. Interest in, and knowledge of, the arts in Washington, D.C. is vital.
Knowledge of District of Columbia arts/cultural organizations and individual artists preferred.
Scope of responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Knowledge of DC’s cultural history and community structures
- Experience with long-term community-centered engagement methods
- Interest in producing creative partnerships and collaborative events
- Some interest in connecting with art galleries and creatives art houses
- Creating public facing polls, surveys, resources, and supportive material
- Strong research and data collection across global topics
EVENTS DEPARTMENT
The Events Intern works closely with the Special Events Manager to assist in the administration and delivery of special projects and events that occur at several times throughout the year. The intern is expected to have a flexible schedule and may be required to work some evenings and weekends as needed; assistance in concept designs and details of special projects; as well as assistance with internal communications and approvals to/from upper-level management, and the Marketing/Communications Departments.
Scope of responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Assistance in securing services of, and preparing documents for, participating artists, vendors and venues for special projects;
- Coordination of meetings with venue representatives and production departments as related to special projects;
- Assistance with technical production and stage management support for special projects;
- Reporting to Special Events Manager on all matters of budget approval and modification, and programming.
- Administrative assistance by way of maintaining records, files and correspondence related to project assignments; and,
- Assistance with the design and print of all promotional materials as they pertain to special projects.
GRANTS DEPARTMENT
The Grants Department Intern works closely with the Director of Grants to cover a variety of administrative responsibilities. The intern facilitates the planning and delivery of nine (9) grant programs at CAH.
Scope of responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Review of FY25 final reports and FY26 interim reports and budgets;
- Preparation of grant agreements and invoices;
- Participation in grant season launch and preparation of workshops for applicants;
- Participation in debriefing meetings with applicants;
- Handling of applicant and panelist scoring portal; and,
- Support of applicant and panel requests including login and profile information updates.
PUBLIC ARTS DEPARTMENT
The Public Arts Intern works closely with the Public Arts team Curator to assist in the administrative duties of various Public Arts initiatives including supporting the preparation and curation of current and upcoming exhibitions.
Scope of responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Assist the curator in researching and cataloging artwork for upcoming exhibitions, including gathering information about artists and their pieces.
- Aid in the coordination of logistics for art installations, including communication with artists and vendors.
- Support the curator in the development of educational materials and guided tours for visitors, helping to enhance public engagement with the artwork on display.
- Assist with administrative tasks such as drafting correspondence, maintaining databases, and organizing documentation related to exhibitions and acquisitions, and
- Contribute to the department's social media presence by generating content, engaging with stakeholders, and promoting upcoming events and exhibitions.
RESOURCE ALLOCATION DEPARTMENT
The Resource Allocation Department Intern works closely with the Resource Allocation Officer, providing budget, accounting, procurement, financial analysis related to agency operations. The intern facilitates the fiscal planning and delivery of eight (8) departments at CAH. This internship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the arts sector while building skills in project management, data analysis, and public service.
Scope of responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Supporting invoice and voucher processing
- Assists in budget formulation, execution, reconciliation, and development of resource tracking systems, ensuring that all financial data is recorded and updated accurately
- Working with the Resource Allocation Officer to identify and solve problems and reengineer processes related to the financial management of the agency.
- Supporting implementation of resource allocation policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Collaborate with team members to prepare reports and presentations for internal stakeholders and external partners
- Conducts limited independent research on ratifications & workflow best practices
Application Deadline:
Friday May 9, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Applicants will receive correspondence concerning the status of their application no later than Monday May 25th .
Application Requirements:
Applicants must submit a complete application package including:
- a content-specific résumé tailored to the internship focus;
- a cover letter clearly indicating interest in a specific department (Public Art, Communications, etc.), and;
- a two-page writing sample on a topic relevant to the selected department. All materials must be submitted in PDF format.
To ensure proper organization, applicants are required to use the following email subject line format: “FY26 [Department Name] Internship – First, Last Name.”
Completed applications should be emailed to Arts Learning Coordinator, Andrea Brown: [email protected]. Applications that are incomplete, submitted in incorrect formats, or received after the stated deadline will not be considered.
