The Nature Conservancy has a new summer internship program.

It is a paid, 10-week summer internship program providing opportunities to gain experience in conservation, inclusive story-telling, project management and more. All STEP interns will have access to professional development trainings, Nature Conservancy webinars and field trips to gain hands on experience on their different landscapes. The internship will run from May 20 to August 11, 2023. All internships will be paid, full time, 35-hour-per-week roles, working in person at one of their Virginia offices. Housing assistance may be available for those who need it.

Two of the positions that may be of interest to students in History and American Studies include one working with TNC’s Marketing and Communications Team to research and share experiences of Indigenous people, African Americans, and other underrepresented communities on lands where TNC works. Another is working  to uncover and share the lives of African Americans enslaved on Brownsville Preserveon the Eastern Shore, now the headquarters of The Nature Conservancy organization.

See the attached .pdfs for position descriptions and a flyer with more information. Deadlines vary between March 10 and March 19th, 2023, depending on the specific internship.

STEP Internships Detailed Flyer Final //  STEP Brownsville Historical Research Intern 0223 // STEP Lands and Lives Project Intern 0223

Historic Prince William

Gerald MacDonald Paid Internship Award

Historic Prince William (HPW) is a 501(c)(3) historical society focused on the history of Prince William County, Virginia.  It offers $2,000 paid internships for graduate students or senior-year undergraduates to (1) conduct research on some aspect of Prince William County history using primary source material, or (2) apply labor and expertise that contributes to the preservation and/or interpretation of a specific historic site in Prince William County.

Prince William County features a rich and diverse history that includes pre-European contact American Indian cultures, colonial-period settlements, early republic agriculture and industry, slavery and abolition, American War of Independence and Civil War sites, and a wealth of topics related to the 20^th century.

The Gerald MacDonald program was established to support the development of young historians by encouraging historical research, historical interpretation, and historic preservation in Prince William County, Virginia.  It is named after the late Lt. Col. Gerald “Jerry” MacDonald, USMC Ret., who was a founding member and long-time director of Historic Prince William.   After serving in the Marine Corps, MacDonald became an educator and lived most of his life with his wife and family on his family farm in Prince William County. This program honors MacDonald’s passion for history and his commitment to his family, his country, and his home.

Grant Terms

Internships will be awarded in the amount of $2,000.  These funds may be used for any purpose by the recipient but must result in an academic paper and a presentation submitted to Historic Prince William on a subject predominantly involving Prince William County history and using primary sources.  Qualifying projects may also involve historic buildings, cemeteries, and archaeological sites.  Awardees must complete their project within one year.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit a brief research proposal (1-2 pages) endorsed by a professor at their institution.  Only applicants who are graduate students or senior-year undergraduates enrolled in history or a related discipline will be considered.  Students should submit their research proposal and any questions to info@historicprincewilliam.org.  Consideration is on a rolling basis with no set submission deadline.