Internships and Volunteer Opportunities
Internships
The Poetry Project offers unpaid internships to undergraduates, graduate students, and recent grads who are looking for experience in a small, poet-run, not-for-profit arts organization. Applicants should have a strong interest in contemporary poetry. Interns may work for college credit if desired. We ask that all interns work one day per week in the office, as well as one evening event per week. General office hours are 1pm – 6pm (Monday through Friday). Interns can choose to work the Monday (8pm, weekly), Wednesday (8pm, weekly) or Friday (10 pm, bi-monthly) reading series.
Work in the office is nothing if not varied. Interns assist our three-person staff with any and all details of programming, development, membership, marketing, archiving, publishing, editing and administration.
Work at the readings entails arriving 45 minutes prior to event start time in order to set up the chairs, box office and book sale table. Readings last approximately one hour, and afterwards staff, interns and volunteers break it all down.
Danielle Johnson, from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, interned during Fall 2008 as part of the New York Arts Program. Dani writes:
Through my internship at The Poetry Project, I learned a great deal about the arts scene and writing industry in New York, and I got to be an active part of that. I attended wonderful events and readings, as well as helped organize and advertise for the events—and I always felt that my work was appreciated. I was never treated like “the intern”; when there was work to be done that wasn’t terribly glamorous, all the staff members took part in it and were extremely gracious to me when I was able to help.
Interested parties should send a resume or CV to Arlo Quint ( ). A formal cover letter is not necessary, but in your email please write a little about why you would like to intern here.
Please note that the Poetry Project is closed for the summer months.
We are not currently hiring interns, but are holding applications for positions beginning in December 2010/January 2011. If you would like to be added to a list of interested interns, please send an email with your resume attached, and write “PP Internship” in the subject header.
Volunteering
Volunteers (and interns!) are cherished at the Poetry Project. Volunteering can mean anything from an annual two-hour shift at the New Year’s Day Marathon benefit to a weekly chair-stacking gig at one of our three reading series. Please email if you would like to discuss volunteer options.
