The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military park is now accepting applications for the summer of 2014 for one Curatorial Assistant intern and approximately 8 Historical Interpreter interns.
For more information, see http://www.nps.gov/frsp/supportyourpark/intern.htm
Have you ever wondered what kinds of internships you can get as a History or American Studies major? What the application process is like? What activities and projects can internships offer?
Come to the department’s Brown Bag Lunch and hear four History and American Studies majors talk about their summer internships and get all of your questions answered! The lunch is on Monday, October 21, from 12-1 pm in Monroe 212. Bring your own lunch and listen to your fellow majors’ internship experiences!
We will cover four types of internships: archives (Smithsonian Institution Archives), large museums (National Museum of the American Indian), small house museums (The Octagon), and national parks (National Parks Service–Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park). Please come join us–we look forward to seeing you there!
At the Octagon, Andrew’s duties included: research, writing, editing, and guiding tours. His research and writing involved the War of 1812, the Treaty of Ghent, James and Dolley Madison, and the Octagon’s ghostly legends. He also had the opportunity to interpret and design exhibits as well as represent the museum at meetings in places such as the Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury. Andrew organized and coordinated public events such as “Tea with Dolley” and a Junior Historians camp for the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Park Service.
Andrew received three credits equivalent to a 300 level history course for his internship. Every week he did a blog post on UMW blogs recounting his weekly experience. These posts can be found at http://octagon.umwblogs.org/. Andrew wrote a research paper for the Octagon on the Treaty of Ghent which will be published on the Octagon’s website. Andrew has been asked to come back to the Octagon in October to coordinate an overnight ghost event. He will also be assisting the Octagon with further event planning throughout the fall. Andrew is entering his senior year at Mary Washington.
Oral History Internship at the John J. Johnson Archives Center
Fredericksburg United Methodist Church
Fall 2013
The John J. Johnson Archives Center of the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church consists of official documents, papers, photographs, recordings, books and artifacts. The church, founded in 1802, is located at 308 Hanover Street in Fredericksburg’s Historic District. The mission of the Center is to catalog and index this collection. The Center will make these items accessible to church members, scholars, educational institutions and the general public for study and research. The Center’s dedicated, climate controlled work area comprises a work room with a scanner, printers and computer equipment, as well as a storage closet with approximately 30 cardboard boxes of papers, photographs, artifacts, etc.
Intern Duties:
A project to record the memories of long time church members is currently underway. The interviews are digitized and need to be transcribed. In addition, a number of interviews that were recorded in the 1980s have been digitized and need to be transcribed as well.
The intern should have keyboarding and computer skills, with a demonstrated ability to perform detailed work and to work independently.
Learning Outcomes for the Intern:
A member of the church’s Heritage Committee will be available to supervise the intern during a three-hour work session each week for a one-hour credit during the 2013 fall semester. If a potential intern needs more hours, arrangements can be made for supervision up to 9 hours a week for a three-hour credit internship.
To apply for the internship, send a cover letter and resume to Margaret Mock, Co-Director, John J. Johnson Archives Center, mmock@umw.edu. Deadline for the 2013 fall semester is September 11, 2013.
As reported earlier, History major Leah Tams (’14) spent this summer working as an intern with the Smithsonian Institution Archives in Washington, D.C. She worked with the Institutional History Division, assisting in the development of public exhibits, programs, and archival collections. Leah also composed reports for the Smithsonian’s public blog, including an intriguing account of her own work on an online exhibit of historical postcards and—a classic archival mystery—the challenges of dating them. For more, see Leah Tams, “The Mystery of the Undated Postcards,” at The Bigger Picture – Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History (23 July 2013).
Image: Postcard of Continental Uniforms, 1942, by Curt Teich & Co., Linen, Record Unit 65, Box 16, Folder: Postcards, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Neg. no. SIA2013-07812. From Leah Tams’ post, cited above.
Intern Opportunity Fall 2013
3 credit hours
Research and Interpretation Intern
Research & Interpretation Intern will assist the Director of Education in completing an African American
Gallery Guide and writing an accompanying tour for the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center.
Responsibilities include researching, editing, coordinating photography, communicating with the designer
and testing the guide with visitors, Museum staff and volunteers.
Responsibilities Include:
• Conducting research of local African American history
• Help with editing and reviewing the existing gallery guide
• Communicating with the designer to design the guide
• Develop and conduct surveys to test the guide with staff and visitors
• Write and conduct accompanying gallery tour
• Handle special projects as assigned
Preferred Majors: American History, Museum Studies, Museum Education, English, Education,
Historic Preservation, and Anthropology.
Ideal candidates are juniorto graduate level students with an interest in African American History and
who are highly organized, with strong communication, history research and writing skills. Candidate must
be able to multi-task and be able to problem-solve independently and collaborate with others. Experience
in visitor surveys is a plus. Candidates must be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel programs. Work
hours are flexible to accommodate class schedules.
Please send a resume, cover letter, writing sample and recommendation letter to education@famcc.org.
Contact
Tramia Jackson
Director of Education & Public Programs
educaton@famcc.org
Museum Marketing Intern (3 credit/120 hours) – Fredericksburg Areas Museum & Cultural Center
Job Description
The intern will assist the Membership and Education offices of the Fredericksburg Area Museum
& Cultural Center. Responsibilities include conducting and refining visitor surveys as well as
general office duties, preparation of promotional materials and advertising mailings, and help
with on-site promotional events. This internship is structured to provide the intern with valuable,
real-world experience in a non-profit environment.
Duties
• Refining, reviewing, and conducting visitor surveys
• Collate and interpret data and create a document that presents the results
• Provide administrative support for event mailings and logistics.
• Help with other development activities as needed, including administrative support for
the winter fundraiser, Masters Raffle.
• Post all exhibitions and programs to various online calendars.
• Provide administrative support to department as needed.
• Handle special projects as assigned
Ideal candidates will be highly organized and articulate, able to multi-task in a fast-paced and
deadline-oriented environment, and be able to problem-solve independently and collaborate with
others. Candidates must be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel programs. Adobe
Photoshop and/or InDesign experience preferred. Work hours are flexible to accommodate class
schedules; however some evening/weekend work may be required for special events.
In one email please include the following:
• Cover letter explaining your career goals, your interest in the program, what you hope to gain,
and what you can contribute
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• One letter of recommendation (academic or professional)
Please send to:
Tramia Jackson
Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center
Director of Education & Public Programs
tjackson@famcc.org
