THREE DECADES OF GEOLOGICAL INTERNS IN THE KIRTLANDIA SOCIETY'S ADOPT-A-STUDENT PROGRAM AT THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: A MODEL FOR A SUCCESSFUL PRIVATELY-FUNDED SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT A NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

For more than three decades, the Kirtlandia Society of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has funded, through private donations of many individuals, summer museum interns as part of its Adopt-a-Student program. The program funds curator-generated projects in the major areas of inquiry within the museum disciplines of geology, biology, and anthropology. One student has typically been funded per museum department (the total number of students per year typically varying from 5 to 10) with most geoscience students working in the Invertebrate Paleontology and Paleobotany Departments (about 30 each over the decades), and a smaller number working in the Vertebrate Paleontology and Mineralogy Departments. Over the years, many students have participated in a wide variety of geological and paleontological field- and laboratory-based projects involving collecting, analyzing, and interpreting paleontological and geological materials. The program is intended to instill an understanding and appreciation of the field of inquiry, and to allow the student hands-on experience beyond the normal college program. Students also develop skills in presenting their research, taking part in an end-of-summer program where they present their findings to an audience of peers, parents, and Kirtlandia Society members, both orally and in poster format. A number of the summer projects have eventually resulted in technical or nontechnical publications co-authored by students. Geoscience “alumni” of the program have gone onto varied careers, including careers related to the geosciences and/or museums. These include university professors, collection managers, and museum educators. A number have authored or edited books in their specialties. To assure future stability, the program has also built up an endowment. The Adopt-a-Student program stands out from other internship programs because of its method of funding and its long-term success.