Art from the Heart Intern

About the role

General Purpose: Connect patients, visitors, and staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center and Golisano Children’s Hospital to the arts. Develop skills in using the arts to help people feel more creative, comforted, and connected through a wide range of arts interventions and strategies. Build communication skills and rapport with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, ages, and abilities, developing sensitivity to individual and cultural differences. Understand the medical clinical environment and work professionally within it, supporting greater empathy and connection among participants and in oneself.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement arts experiences for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities at the UVM Medical Center and Golisano Children’s Hospital, creating a welcoming and encouraging environment for creativity and communication.
• Provide guidance and support to participants creating art projects, developing connections across a wide range of art forms.
• Create and maintain supplies necessary for the program, ensuring materials are ready and available for participants.
• Help maintain the organization and hygiene of program supplies.
• Follow all hospital procedures as trained, especially regarding HIPAA, patient privacy, and sanitization/hygiene for materials and personal hygiene.
• Liaise regularly with UVMMC and GCH nursing, child life, and volunteer services.
• Track program work by logging visit data and writing daily brief narratives on meaningful interactions.
• Attend meetings with volunteers to develop skills.
• Grow into a leadership role, eventually leading group meetings.
• Help train and coach volunteers.
• Communicate professionally about schedules, maintaining the shared calendar, partners, and program leader updates.
• Follow up on patient visit requests, coordinating with the team to ensure support for participants.

Qualifications

• Ability to actively support City diversity, equity, and cultural competency efforts within job responsibilities and work effectively across diverse cultures and constituencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through ongoing training and professional development, with the ability to view all aspects of work through a culturally competent lens.
• At least 17 years old.
• Interest in the arts (skill not required, but appreciation and enthusiasm are).
• Ability to wear a face mask for the duration of on‑site time.
• Ability to work on‑site at UVM Medical Center and Golisano Children’s Hospital.
• Ability to clear a hospital background check and health screening for TB.
• Ability to follow all HIPAA patient privacy rules.

Pay

Unpaid in lieu of academic credit.

Schedule

Remote Tier 1: Zero (0) days remote per week; on‑site work required at UVM Medical Center and Golisano Children’s Hospital.