M useum I nternship
M useum E ducation B riefs
Joseph Conrad Camp: A Camp that Brings Out the Best in You!
New Supervisor for the Treworgy Planetarium The Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport is distinctive because of its unique connection to marine navigation and maritime history. Last year over 22,500 people enjoyed Planetarium shows. In addition, the Museum brought the experience of the Planetarium to thousands of underserved students in New London, Groton, and other surrounding towns in Connecticut. As exemplified by these statistics, many people know and appreciate the value of the Planetarium, but we believe it is an underutilized gem, and that it has the potential to reach many more people. As part of our effort to elevate the prominence and scope of the Treworgy Planetarium, we are pleased to announce the hiring of Jeffrey J. Dunn as the Jeffrey J. Dunn new Supervisor of the Planetarium. While it will be impossible to replace the incomparable Don Treworgy (former head of the Planetarium for 44 years and for whom the Planetarium is named), his legacy inspired us to find a dedicated and passionate leader who will guide the Treworgy Planetarium into its next phase and to expand and enhance its reach and programming; a leader who will sustain and build upon Don’s vision. We believe Jeff Dunn has the skills and talents to accomplish this. Jeff, who has a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Geography, has done research in education and Geographic Information Systems as a doctoral candidate at UConn. He has experience in hands-on workshops for educators, and creating innovative educational resources for use by professionals as well as the general public. He has a wide range of technical skills in his field. Jeff has a passion for astronomy that is apparent from the minute you meet him. He is also a member of the Gamma Theta Upsilon International Honors Society. Sarah Cahill is Director of Education at Mystic Seaport.
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SPRING/SUMMER 2012
For over half a century, the Joseph Conrad Summer Sailing Camp at Mystic Seaport has given thousands of young men and women the opportunity to learn how to sail in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The Museum grounds provide the perfect setting for a weeklong camp experience that has been the summer highlight for many youths over the years. Campers between the ages of 10 and 15 bunk overnight aboard the Conrad, and learn to sail on the Mystic River using the Museum’s fleet of Dyer Dhows. Daily sailing instruction begins in the classroom, and is followed by dual sailing sessions in the morning and afternoon. Evenings are filled with maritime-related activities such as a visit to the Planetarium, a chantey show, and a downriver cruise on the steamboat Sabino. Many campers choose to return year after year to reunite with friends and fine-tune their sailing skills. Alumni of the program often return between the ages of 16 and 18 as sailing assistant volunteers, and a few have continued on as instructors. One camper who exemplifies the spirit of Conrad Camp is 2011 scholarship recipient Sara H. She returned to Mystic this past year for her fifth year as a camper. Like her previous visits, she began the week without the distinction of most skilled sailor, but her progress over the course of the week was exceptional. It was a windy week of Conrad Camp for our intermediate sailors, and Sara first caught the attention of our instructors as her signature black and orange sail #28 tipped over far more frequently than the other Dyers. While many campers would grow frustrated with so many capsizes, Sara was always eager to climb back into her boat and continue to improve herself as a sailor. Her persistence in the face of difficult odds illustrates what Conrad Camp is all about. In Sara’s words: “Not only does the Conrad Camp teach and instruct you on how to sail, but it also helps build self-esteem, mental and physical strength, and friendships.” Speaking on the transformation that is possible at this camp, Sara adds, “I used to be shy at school, and at all my other camps, but the Conrad program brought out the best in me.” Now that Sara is 16 years old, she will be joining the Conrad Camp staff this summer as a sailing assistant. For more information about this camp please visit www.mysticseaport. org/conradcamp or call 860-572-5322. Brian Koehler is the Alternate Director of the Joseph Conrad Summer Sailing Camp.
Katharine Mead on a Project Oceanology cruise
2011 summer interns, left to right, Maggie Stack, Claire Keller-Scholz, Erica Whyte, Alex Ames, Amber Lea Clark, and Katharine Mead
Alex Ames sailing on the Mystic River
Program Summers by the Sea: The Museum Studies Internship
W
hat could be better than spending an entire summer at Mystic Seaport? Each summer for the past 30 years, graduate students and upper-level undergraduates have headed to Mystic to complete an internship in museum studies. They spend ten intense but fun weeks learning all parts of museum work, from interpreting exhibits to working behind the scenes with staff on new exhibits, programs, or collections projects. Summer interns also spend one day a week exploring other exemplary museums such as Plimoth Plantation or the New Bedford Whaling Museum, plus they discuss readings in museum theory, maritime history, and public history. To get the full Mystic Seaport experience, interns climb the rigging, row a whaleboat, learn to drive remote-control model tugs, or help with the all-night Moby-Dick Marathon. Interns receive a modest stipend to cover living expenses and can elect to receive college or graduate credit. Former interns have gone on to work at museums, universities, and schools in this country and abroad. Last year, more than 60 applicants applied for six spots, some of which were co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities or by the University of Connecticut. The 2011 interns came from diverse educational and life backgrounds, with a broad geographic reach from Connecticut to Louisiana. Two have stayed involved with Mystic Seaport since their internships ended, and they tell their stories here. Elysa Engelman
“From Minnesota to Mystic Seaport,” by Alexander Ames My home state of Minnesota may be “the land of 10,000 lakes,” but it’s just about as far away from the ocean as possible in this country. I am a graduate student in the public history program at St. Cloud State University, and my summer 2011 Mystic Seaport internship helped me focus my professional interests within the diverse realm of public history. Spending ten weeks at the Museum also exposed me to aspects of American history with which I had previously been unfamiliar. Now back in Minnesota, I am working on a project with Mystic Seaport based on new perspectives I gained during my internship. While at Mystic Seaport, I particularly enjoyed work related to museum education and outreach. I am now collaborating with the Museum’s education department to bring Museum resources to Minnesota K-12 classrooms through virtual field trips and primary source-based curriculum materials. The project is a two-year collaboration of Mystic Seaport, the Pine City, Minnesota School District, and Resource Training & Solutions, an educational services
cooperative in St. Cloud, Minnesota (also see page 16). We hope to study effective ways for the Museum to reach classrooms across the country with it whaling material. I am thankful for the opportunities with which Mystic Seaport has provided me. My summer internship helped me hone my career interests and inspired me to reconsider how to teach history in interesting ways. My current project allows me to put my new ideas into action.
“A Dana Descendant Goes Digital,” by Katharine Mead It’s true: before last summer, I rarely visited the beach and had never been sailing. I arrived in Mystic with no maritime knowledge and left in August with a budding passion for the sea that may have been dormant all along – my dad recently remarked that I’m probably the first in my family to climb aloft on a square rigger since my great-great-great-grandfather Richard Henry Dana, Jr., spent his two years before the mast. I started with just one excellent summer, but once I returned to nearby Brown University I knew, like many others, that I couldn’t stay away from Mystic for long. I’m currently working on a senior year capstone project that weaves together my work at college and as a museum intern, bringing our summer project to completion. The Greenmanville iPad Tour will provide visitors, specifically students and families, with an in-depth guide to the Mystic Seaport grounds as the Greenman brothers used them in the 19th century. Using this mobile technology brings the archives to life by putting historic photographs, original documents, and objects from the collection into visitors’ hands as they explore the grounds. Students can further develop their analytical skills by learning how we research the local story of the Greenmans and discussing what the historical record can and cannot provide. My work on the project will continue throughout the spring 2012, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this year’s Museum interns will do in such an educational, challenging, and fun program.
Are you interested in becoming a museum-studies intern? The 2012 interns have already been selected, but you can find more information for next year at: www.mysticseaport.org/summerinternship Are you an internship alum who wants to connect with other former interns to reminisce, catch up, or network? If so, contact summer internship coordinator Elysa Engelman (Summer 1992 Intern) at: elysa.engelman@mysticseaport.org to reconnect. SPRING/SUMMER 2012
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