The ChromaDiverse Digital Archivist Internship is truly unique. It introduces students to the niche field of digital archiving, immerses them in rarely studied moments of dance history, equips them with highly transferable skills, and pays them for their time. From navigating Microsoft Office to inventorying and adding crucial metadata, our interns learn hands-on what it means to steward history in a professional and creative environment.
In an overstimulating modern world where a multitude of screens demand our attention, ChromaDiverse interns are encouraged to slow down and engage thoughtfully with historical materials, tending purposefully to the stories they tell. For most, it is their first ever job. Intern Manager Josie Porter, a graduate of Analy High School who currently attends community college in Sonoma County, loves that she gets to “work with the material physically which creates a better connection than on screen.”
Josephine Porter accessing the Oakland Ballet materials.
Josie has been with CD since early 2025 and plans to stay for the foreseeable future. As a theater kid, she never perceived herself as particularly tech-savvy, but her experience with ChromaDiverse has inspired new confidence in her ability to navigate digital archiving tools. The internship has also enabled her to stay connected to the performing arts while she figures out her career goals. This is one of the program’s most valuable aspects: although students may be unsure of what career they will pursue, our internship sets them up with multiple foundational pathways that they can explore at their own pace.
Some interns may go on to pursue Library and Information Science degrees and become professional archivists, while others may become academic historians, dance critics, or conservators. Even if none of these paths materialize, students carry forward practical experience in office workflows, commonly used software, and collaborative environments.
Our interns have played a crucial role in digitizing and onboarding thousands of photographs, performance programs, and press reviews for Oakland Ballet Company and Dance Theatre of Harlem, allowing the rest of our small team to focus on further developing our partners’ CD DigitalVault archives and sharing their histories with the dance community. Although some of the digitization of materials takes place in our digital lab, inventorying and adding metadata to digital assets can be done remotely. This flexibility has allowed interns to continue working with us once they have left for college. Because we value our interns’ labor and believe their compensation should reflect the work they do, our interns are paid, making the position accessible to those from a wide range of backgrounds.
Kai Mayer and Logan Radovich digitizing press articles from a collection.
The ChromaDiverse Digital Archivist Internship continues to grow not only as a training ground for emerging professionals, but also as a community where students learn to value care, curiosity, and creative stewardship. Each intern departs having contributed something meaningful, whether by preserving rare materials, helping to enrich our partners’ digital archives with crucial metadata, or simply bringing fresh perspectives to the stories we safeguard. Their work is crucial for the ongoing development and growth of ChromaDiverse, and with your continued support, we can ensure that these histories and the students who help preserve them continue to thrive.
Please consider making a contribution towards our internship program by visiting chromadiverse.com/donate. Your donation in any amount has an immense impact.
Archival materials being inventoried and scanned.