Native American Fellow

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts is looking for rising graduate students and emerging and in-service cultural professionals for our summer 2026 program.

Fellows develop their leadership potential through 9-week department positions within the museum. Placements allow participants to work directly with and be mentored by committed senior and mid level PEM professionals. These positions provide Fellows with the ability to seek insights on the range of skills and experiences needed in positions of responsibility. Weekly workshops in key areas such as strategy, fundraising, communication and organizational politics, as well as select field trips and substantive engagement in museum projects, expand Fellows existing skill sets while cultivating their professional development needs.

Placements will be based on applicants academic and/or career goals, their application, the interview process and the match between Fellows interests and available projects. Previous department placements have included Curatorial, Development, Creative Services, Collection Management, Exhibition Research and Publishing, Merchandising and Marketing. Each fellow is paid $25 per hour and works 35 hours/week. The program also offers housing near PEM and assistance with travel expenses.

Academic credit is available upon official request.

Eligibility includes persons of Native American, Alaska Native, Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), First Nations, Métis and Inuit heritage; members of federally recognized tribes, consistent with the distinctions established under federal law; individuals who reside on Native or tribal lands; and artists and scholars whose work and/or study contributes to the artistic traditions, research and preservation of Native American art, culture and history, and who demonstrate consistent commitment through their life and their work to the purpose of the program and the cultural and educational mission of the museum.

Because this is a leadership training fellowship rather than an internship, priority is given to graduate students and in-service professionals.