Ramapo DMC / RMI Internship Opportunity

The DMC Center has two paid internship openings supporting the Ramapough Munsee Lenape Nation — one focused on application development and IT support, and one focused on community data intake work ideal for students with digital humanities backgrounds. Both positions carry a $5,000 stipend starting late March; read on for details and how to apply!

About the Partner

The Ramapough Munsee Lenape Nation are descendants of the original inhabitants of New Jersey, southern New York, and parts of Connecticut and Pennsylvania. State-recognized since 1980, the Nation’s approximately 5,000 members are concentrated in the Ramapo Mountains along the NY/NJ border, with others scattered across the United States.

The Nation operates through Ramapough Munsee Lenape, Inc. (RMI) to coordinate services including youth education, elder care, food sovereignty programs, and tribal governance. A central challenge for the organization is membership record keeping — census data is currently fragmented across paper files, individuals, locations, and disconnected digital systems.

Accurate census data is required for:

• State and federal grant applications supporting education, healthcare, and food security programs
• Tribal leadership elections, with changes coming in the near term

Project Description

The DMC Center is partnering with the Ramapough Munsee Lenape Nation to build a modern data infrastructure system supporting their operations and grant-seeking capacity. Two interns will work closely together and directly with tribal staff throughout the project.

Project Deliverables

• Tribal membership database — centralized system consolidating data currently scattered across locations, individuals, paper files, and disconnected digital systems
• Member intake application — user-friendly tool enabling tribal staff to collect, enter, and update member records
• ID card printing system — application to produce official tribal membership ID cards
• Digital document ingestion pipeline — tooling to ingest and organize historical paper and digital records into the new database
• Automated grant reporting system — generates formatted reports for federal and state assistance applications
• IT/cybersecurity support — on-site assessment and hands-on support for the Nation’s systems and data infrastructure

Position 1: Application Developer & IT/Cybersecurity Support

Supervised by: Dr. Scott Frees, Professor of Computer Science

This intern works directly with Dr. Frees to build and deploy the software systems, and provides hands-on IT support to the tribe on-site.

Primary responsibilities:

• Extend DMC created tribal membership database and intake application
• Develop the ID card printing system
• Build the digital document ingestion pipeline
• Conduct an IT/cybersecurity assessment of current infrastructure
• Provide on-site IT support — configuring systems, troubleshooting, documenting infrastructure
• Collaborate with the Data Intake intern to ensure systems reflect real-world field needs

Ideal background:
Note that applicants should be current Juniors, as this project is may extend into next year. The skill below are not required, they are preferred.

• Web application development (Node.js preferred; other frameworks welcome)
• Database design and SQL
• General programming experience — breadth matters more than mastery of any single tool
• A significant plus: IT support experience, cybersecurity coursework

Position 2: Digital Data Curation

Supervised by: Prof. Sarah Koenig, School of Humanities and Global Studies
This intern works directly with tribal staff and community members to gather, verify, and digitize membership data — translating real-world records and community knowledge into structured entries that feed the new database.

Students with backgrounds in digital humanities, history, sociology, anthropology, communications, or related fields are strongly encouraged to apply. Students who combine humanities and technical experience are especially competitive for this role.

Primary responsibilities:

• Conduct structured intake sessions with tribal staff and members to gather and verify membership data
• Digitize paper records and legacy documents for ingestion into the database
• Work with tribal staff to identify gaps and develop strategies for reaching members with missing records
• Document data provenance — where records came from and how they were verified
• Assist with quality assurance on incoming data
• Help develop intake workflows that are clear and accessible for tribal staff

Ideal background:

• Experience with community engagement, oral history, archival work, or qualitative research
• Strong interpersonal skills — this role involves direct, sustained work with community members
• Attention to detail and comfort with structured data entry
• A significant plus: Technical skills alongside humanities training — experience with databases, spreadsheets, document scanning, or archival digitization

Internship Details (Both Positions)

• Start Date: Late March 2026 (flexible)
• Duration: 12 weeks · 15–20 hours/week
• Scheduling: Hours may be spread over a longer period, extending into summer if needed
• Compensation: $5,000 per position, paid in three installments over the project period
• Location: On-site at the Ramapough Tribal Center (Stag Hill Road, Mahwah, NJ — approximately 4–5 miles from Ramapo College) plus remote work
• Transportation: A car is required. Both interns will be expected to work on-site at the Tribal Center.

How to Apply

Email Dr. Scott Frees at sfrees@ramapo.edu with the subject line:
“RMI Internship Application — Position 1: Developer” or “RMI Internship Application — Position 2: Data Intake”

Include:

• A brief introduction — your name, year, and major
• Which position you are applying for (you may express interest in both)
• A short paragraph on why this project interests you
• A summary of relevant skills and experience (coursework, projects, jobs, or certifications)
• A current résumé or CV
• Confirmation that you have a car and can travel to Mahwah for on-site work

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply early — positions will be filled as soon as the right candidates are identified.

Categories: Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Internship Story