PORTS Invention Education Fellow

California State Railroad Museum Fellowship

The California State Railroad Museum seeks a graduate student or early-career professional with a passion for education, history, and innovation to develop and launch a new PORTS (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students) distance learning program as part of our partnership with the Lemelson-MIT Program (LMIT), beginning July 2026.

The new program will use the history of railroading and invention as a lens for inquiry-based learning, and will be made available to classrooms across California. This is a program we are building to last — developed as part of an ongoing partnership with LMIT and reaching students well into the future through the PORTS platform.

The nine-month program begins July 27, 2026, and ends April 9, 2027. All work is in-person at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. The total stipend is $27,390, which allows for 1,500 hours at $18.26 per hour, with no benefits.

Graduate students, recent graduates, and early career professionals from education, museum studies, public history, curriculum development, and related fields are encouraged to apply. We welcome candidates who bring diverse perspectives to their work.

If interested, please submit a cover letter and resume or curriculum vitae through this interest: https://forms.gle/hPnqZGosiAZfRwbw6.

Review of interest forms will begin on 08/26/2026.

PORTS Invention Education Fellow

Throughout the nine-month fellowship, the Fellow will research, design, and develop the PORTS program, building teacher curriculum materials aligned with California K-12 standards and consulting with teachers to ensure classroom relevance. The Fellow will receive training in invention education and distance learning program development, but some background in education, curriculum design, museum education, or public history is desired.

Successful candidates will have strong research and writing skills, and will be self-directed, collaborative, and comfortable engaging with diverse stakeholders. An interest in inquiry-based learning or STEM/STEAM education is a plus. Knowledge of railroad history or invention history is welcome but not required.

The Fellow will work closely with the Special Projects Manager and STEM Educator, and will receive training and support from both the CSRM Interpretation & Education Team and LMIT staff. For more information, please contact Carly Starr, Special Projects Manager, at cstarr@csrmf.org.