Past Internships

SUMMER 2023 INTERNSHIPS

Charlottesville, Virginia (and remote)
Three internships
1. Researcher and writer, Pen Park Cemetery Project - ONE OF TWO POSITIONS FILLED
Terms: The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (ACHS) is seeking 1-2 graduate or advanced undergraduate students with strong research and writing skills, a background in American history, and familiarity with genealogical research and the local history of Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. Previous experience with oral history research a plus. Workspace will be provided in our Downtown Charlottesville office, and the intern will have the ability to work remotely if needed. These internships pay $17/hour for graduate students and $15/hour for undergraduates, for 300 hours of work over the summer.
Goals: The ACHS is partnering with the City of Charlottesville to research, locate, and collaborate with the descendants of enslaved individuals who were buried in unmarked graves at the Pen Park cemetery, with the goal of determining the most appropriate ways to commemorate and memorialize this solemn ground. Charlottesville City Council approved a resolution on December 2, 2019, authorizing the use of funds for the archaeological evaluation of possible unmarked graves outside the enclosed family plots at the Gilmer/Craven/Hotopp Cemetery at Pen Park, which date from the late 1700s through the 1800s. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) evaluation of the site shows the presence of 43 unmarked and unrecorded graves outside the walls of the three family plots. The evidence so far suggests that these unmarked graves are those of individuals enslaved on the site of Pen Park. Our summer interns will review existing research and archival sources, conduct new research, complete reports on specific individuals and families, and participate in oral history interviews with members of the descendant community. They will work directly with ACHS staff, contractors, and volunteers, and in close collaboration with others involved in the project, including Jeff Werner, City of Charlottesville Historic Preservation Planner; Shelley Murphy, UVA Enslaved Laborers Project Lead Researcher; Sam Towler, Local Historian and Central Virginia History Researchers member; and Lorenzo Dickerson, Maupintown Media Filmmaker and Local History Storyteller.
Outcomes: With guidance from ACHS staff, the interns will become familiar with cvillepedia.org and will write and edit wiki pages and articles for the Pen Park Cemetery Project. At the end of the internship, the interns will have added page articles to the site, and understand the processes involved with researching and writing for a local history wiki. The interns will have the opportunity to present on their work in a hybrid online/in-person public program hosted by the ACHS during the internship.
About:  The ACHS has served the local community for over 80 years, collecting, preserving, and interpreting local history. Today we are embracing technology and digital archives to expand accessibility to historical information. Cvillepedia.org was created by Charlottesville Tomorrow in 2009 and has grown to be a source for community knowledge and history of the people, places, and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The ACHS, in partnership with Charlottesville Tomorrow and the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, is initiating a comprehensive strategic plan for Cvillepedia’s future—to facilitate improvement and expansion through community partnerships, to ensure the site is an equitably accessible archive for local history, and to envision the platform as a community-driven historical resource for and by local citizens that benefits the whole community.
2. Educational Coordinator, Desegregation Oral History-K12 Project - POSITION FILLED
Terms: The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (ACHS) is seeking one advanced undergraduate student, preferably in an educational field, with a background in American history, and familiarity with the local history of Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. Previous experience with oral history research a plus. Workspace will be provided in our downtown Charlottesville office, and the intern will have the ability to work remotely if needed. This internship pays $15/hour for 30 hours of work per week for an 8 week period.
Goals: The ACHS is engaged in a multi-year oral history project to collect, preserve, and share the recollections of individuals, many of them former student athletes, who experienced the desegregation of local public high schools (1954-1974). Video recorded oral history interviews are being made publicly available via our soon-to-be online website: “No Playbook: School Integration During Massive Resistance.” The structure of this internship will be hybrid. Some tasks will allow for remote work, but in-person meetings and participation in the workshops will
be required. The internship will begin with introductions to ACHS staff, volunteers, and contractors working on the oral history project. The intern will learn about the oral history project and become acquainted with the “No Playbook” website. With staff supervision, the intern will layout a work-plan for continued recruiting of educator participants, scheduling meetings and workshops to fulfill the following, and completing the internship with a report on what has been learned and what recommendations are offered. During the internship, the intern will be required to attend, in-person or virtually, weekly check-ins with ACHS staff to monitor progress.
Outcomes: This summer intern will help us engage and recruit local educators, design and plan the summer workshops, and brainstorm some initial ideas for learning resources we can present and discuss with educators and their students the following school year. The workshops will focus on the purpose of the project, the methods and uses of oral histories, the substance of the oral history interviews, the functionality of the website, and the development of inquiry-based learning resources. These workshops will initiate class projects empowering
students to explore and utilize the website, and make recommendations based on their experiences. The end result will be feedback from the educators and students concerning the accessibility, comprehensibility, and utility of the website. The ACHS will then implement further improvements to the site and its resources. Among the additional improvements will be inquiry-based learning resources to link to the site so that other educators and their students can benefit from these efforts.
About: The ACHS has served the local community for over 80 years, collecting, preserving, and interpreting local history. Our mission: History is not the past; it is the story we tell about the past. Every person in Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville has a unique and powerful story to tell. Through collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of our community, we are committed to informing, inspiring, and bringing together all people, creating opportunities for new relationships and new understandings. Today we are embracing
technology and digital archives to expand accessibility to historical information. “No Playbook” is our current flagship project intended to empower local citizens to tell their own stories and to add to our understanding of a complex past. The next phase of the project involves engaging
with local educators and creating learning resources for K12 schools to help young students understand the historic background of racial divisions in our communities and offer them
examples of young people like themselves who experienced times of strife and change.
 
Chickahominy Indian Tribe - POSITION FILLED
Charles City, Virginia (remote and occassional in-person) 
One internship 
Communications and historical documentation
Terms: The Chickahominy Indian Tribe seeks a summer intern to assist with communications and historical documentation. The scope of work will include creating various communication materials to be distributed internally and externally, including but not limited to event and informational flyers, email blasts, social media postings, and others. In addition to communications, the successful intern will assist with creating an educational tool (or tools) that accurately depicts the Tribe’s history and can be distributed to both internal and external individuals and organizations. Such tools may include photos, videos, podcasts, and more. Assistance with data entry in the Tribe’s enrollment software, to include genealogy data, is also requested. The necessary information and training needed to successfully complete the aforementioned activities will be provided by tribal staff and those designated by tribal leadership. Most work can be conducted remotely, however, in-person attendance will be required on occasion to gather information for the creation of the educational tool (or tools). This internship pays $15.00 for 250 hours of work. 
Goals: 1. Gather information and create various tribal communications that convey pertinent information in a neat, organized, and concise format. 
2. Collect historical and present-day information to create an educational tool (or tools) that can be used internally and externally to convey accurate tribal history and information, in order to foster awareness and knowledge of the Chickahominy Tribe and Indigenous peoples. 
3. Enter data into the enrollment system to ensure records are updated and genealogy data is captured. The intern should have excellent written/oral communication skills; be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and technology; have an interest in history and/or experience with research; work well with tribal staff, citizens, and outside agencies; ability to work independently.
Outcomes: The outcomes of this proposal include streamlining the Tribe’s communications, promoting education and awareness, and ensuring accurate records within the Tribe’s enrollment system.  
About: The Chickahominy Indian Tribe is located in Charles City County and consists of ~1,000 citizens, of which ~80% live within 1-hour of the Tribal Center. The Tribe was state recognized in 1983 and later gained recognition from the federal government as a sovereign nation in January 2018.
 
“Black placemaking in Virginia: Reconstruction-era Black legislators as community builders”
Charlottesville + Buckingham, Cumberland, and Prince Edward counties
Two internships
Historical research, digital mapping, community engagement  
Terms: “Black placemaking in Virginia: Reconstruction-era Black legislators as community builders” seeks two interns, advanced undergrads or grad students, to research the property holdings of late 19th-century Black legislators elected across the state during Reconstruction, and plot those properties on an ArcGIS map created for the purpose. Interns must have research, writing, communication, and analytical skills. Experience using ArcGIS digital mapping tools or making StoryMaps is desired. Coursework in African American history, or demonstrated evidence of interest in that history is essential. Photography skills and experience interviewing people are a plus, but not a requirement. Interns will meet at least weekly with a supervisor from the project. Some of the internships require a car or access to one; interns will be reimbursed for mileage. Some remote work is possible. These internships pay $20/hr for grad students and $15/hr for undergrads, for 250-300 hours of work over the summer.
Goals: Interns will comb through public records in the county courthouses of the three counties we’re targeting, identifying sales of land by Black legislators and recording the names of those who purchased it, as well as the boundaries of their tracts. We’ll search (and make a relational database based on) property tax records, deeds, and especially land books from the 1890s and 1910s, which identified landowners by race. We will also meet with community members from Cumberland, Buckingham, and Prince Edward counties to share information and request feedback and guidance.  
Outcomes: A number of the legislators we will research, the first Black men to serve in Virginia government, amassed large acreages of land. Many of them sold tracts to formerly enslaved people who then established the farmsteads, churches, and schools that anchored “freetowns”—settlements founded by formerly enslaved Virginians during Reconstruction. Mapping Black legislators’ property holdings is a way of identifying and locating the earliest post-war Black settlements, an under-studied period of Black achievement and self-empowerment that occurred during Reconstruction before the violence and repression of the Jim Crow era intervened. Interns will use the information they find to create an annotated, publicly available ArcGIS map that shows original property holdings by legislators, and the ownership of subdivided tracts once they were sold. Essentially, this will map the very beginnings of post-war Black settlements in central Virginia, and illustrate how land was acquired and then redistributed by Black civic leaders. Interns will also create publicly available StoryMaps about each of the legislators, highlighting their roles as community builders and developers.
About: The project is a collaboration between Griffin Blvd. Archives, a public history initiative that aims to preserve local knowledge and cultural sites with the goal of reimagining rural Black landscapes in central Virginia, and the Finding Virginia’s Freetowns project at UVA, a partnership between faculty and Scholars’ Lab dedicated to identifying and mapping central Virginia “freetowns”—settlements founded by emancipated Blacks during Reconstruction.
 
Gibbes Museum of Art - POSITION FILLED
Charleston, South Carolina
One internship 
Collections and exhibitions
Terms: The intern will be introduced to the day-to-day operations of a mid-sized art museum. This unique opportunity will be available to an undergraduate rising third- or fourth-year with a particular interest in American art and art history preferred. Background in art history, American studies, or museum studies is required. Curiosity, adaptability, and self-starter qualities are valued. Students who thrive in a cohesive, team-based environment, and who are excited by the possibilities of working closely across departments in a mid-size museum are ideal. Candidates under-represented in the museum field are strongly encouraged to apply. This internship pays $12 an hour for 300 hours of on-site work. 
Goals:  The intern will assist with the planning, development, and execution of special exhibitions and changes to the permanent collection galleries as well as activities related to collections management. Duties to include: the development of object checklists, creation of installation plans, loan initiation, and communication with artists and lenders. Additionally, assisting with annual collections inventory, cataloging new acquisitions, preparing works for outgoing loan, researching objects, and writing label copy for upcoming exhibitions and the mobile app will be part of the intern’s responsibilities.
Outcomes: Outcomes expected are an overall familiarity with museum collections care, policy and practice; familiarity with exhibitions planning, development and execution; and an understanding of museum values, ethics and goals in a professional team oriented environment that believes art museums serve as spaces for transformational community conversations.
About: Located in the heart of downtown Charleston, South Carolina, the Gibbes Museum of Art is known for its dynamic exhibition programs and its exceptional collection of American art that provides a vibrant introduction to the visual culture of America and the American South from the colonial era to the present. The Museum presents six to eight special exhibitions annually, and organizes over 100 educational programs and events that respond to the region’s unique art history, Charleston's diverse demographics, and its reputation as a top tourist destination in the United States.
 
Louisa, Virginia
One or more internships
Archives digitization
Terms: The Louisa County Historical Society seeks organized, enthusiastic intern/s to staff the society’s new archive digitization program. The focus of the work will be completing image capture and metadata entry as well as processing archive materials and conducting limited research. Applicants should possess strong computer skills and a willingness to learn new programs, including relational database systems; attention to detail; ability to work independently and on a team; and an interest in making historical information more widely accessible. Experience handling archival materials is a plus. All work is in-person and to be completed Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. The exact schedule is flexible depending on qualified candidates' needs. The office is located in the town of Louisa within driving distance of Charlottesville, Richmond, and Fredericksburg. This internship pays $15/hr.
Goals: Interns will work alongside staff and archive volunteers in a collaborative and inclusive environment. This is a great opportunity to work with the historical society staff during the inaugural year of the archive digitization program and to work to make historical records more publicly accessible. This Internship will also provide exposure to the operation and activities of a small historical society.
Outcomes: Supervised by the society’s director, intern/s will staff a digitization station equipped with a DSLR camera, copy stand, and lighting to digitize archival materials in a careful and consistent manner. Interns will complete digital image capture and digital file naming/storage following LCHS protocols; review basic metadata in our collection database; edit and/or add to basic metadata as needed. Limited research may be required to fill in basic metadata fields. Other duties may be assigned.
About: Founded in 1966, the Louisa County Historical Society brings to light, preserves, and shares the history of Louisa County. An Equal Opportunity Employer, our vision is to enlighten the present by illuminating the past in order to inspire the future. You can see examples of our digital projects here.
 
Morven Summer Institute - BOTH POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Two internships
Research and teaching assistants
Terms: We seek two upper-level undergraduate students with relevant coursework in American History and/or African American Studies to serve as research assistants for the 2022 Morven Summer Institute class, ARH 4500/AAS 4559: Morven’s Enslaved and Descendant Communities (May 23-June 17). The interns will enroll in the course and assist with (1) video documentation and social media posts of class activities, including field trips; (2) the transcription of archival materials, such as handwritten letters, wills, deeds, etc.; and (3) the creation of draft cultural landscape walking tours via app or pamphlet. Experience with social media and graphic design is a plus, but no prior experience or training in digital technology is required. Interns will be supervised by the course instructor, Dr. Scot French, a specialist in digital and public history. Internship start and end dates will be set by the supervisor. This internship pay of $17 per hour for 240 hours over the course of 8-10 weeks (25-30 hours per week).
Goals: Our primary goal for these paired internships are: (1) to document class activities through video and social media and build public awareness/support for ongoing research and site interpretation at Morven; and (2) to build a digital archive of student- and faculty-generated research (scanned documents, transcriptions, bibliographies, etc.) and related presentations/reports for use in ongoing research and curated displays, and (3) to create interpretive tours for the site that can be utilized to tell the complete history of the Morven property to visitors. Interns will have an opportunity to work with 19th century historical records, such as newspaper advertisements, handwritten letters, wills, and deeds.
Outcomes: Interns will contribute to video and social media documentation of the summer class and the development of an accessible/searchable digital repository of student- and faculty-generated materials that will help tell the story of Morven’s enslaved and descendant communities. Interns will gain valuable experience in videography and social media, historical research, and digital humanities tools/methods.
About: The 2,913-acre UVA Foundation-owned property known today as Morven has a complex, multi-layered history spanning thousands of years of human occupation. Located in southwestern Albemarle County, not far from Monticello, the site has attracted new interest from researchers since its acquisition by UVA in 2001. Today, Morven is home to a multi-disciplinary research and teaching initiative known as the Morven Summer Institute. ARCH 4500/AAS 4559 Morven’s Enslaved and Descendant Communities (May 23-June 17) invites students to explore the lives and labors of African Americans at Morven through a combination of lectures, discussions, field trips, and guided research. Led by co-instructors Lenora McQueen and Scot French, students will learn about each of the site’s distinct periods of occupation, from 17th and 18th century Monacan Indian encampments to the British land grant era of the Carter Estate (1730s-1790s), post-Revolutionary Era experiments in small-scale tenant farming and agricultural reform at William Short’s “Indian Camp” (1790s-1810s), and the rise of large-scale plantation slavery under David Higginbotham (1820s-1853) and D.G. Smith (1853-1865). Students will also explore the post-emancipation transition to free labor systems (sharecropping, tenancy, wage labor) and the formation of descendant communities throughout Albemarle County. Students will maintain research blogs, work in small groups to examine/interpret primary sources, report new findings, and produce a multimedia or poster-style project for public presentation at Morven.
 
King William, Virginia (hybrid options possible)
One internship
Museum intern
Terms: The Pamunkey Indian Museum & Cultural Center seeks an intern to work closely with the Museum Director and Tribal staff on a variety of projects. Undergraduate and graduate students should have at least one year of focused study in history, anthropology, archeology, museum studies, arts, culture and/or another related field. Based on current projects, preference will be given to students with a demonstrated interest in traditional or community-based arts administration, museum collections management or exhibition development. The Pamunkey Indian Museum & Cultural Center is located on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation in King William, VA. Due to the nature of current projects, work will need to be completed onsite, with the possibility for a hybrid schedule on some projects. The 250 hours of the internships must be divided over a 12-week period (from the first week of June through the last week of August) with the intern averaging 21 hours per week. A final schedule will be negotiated with the Museum Director. This internship pays $15 per hour.
Goals: Internship experiences could focus in the following areas: processing and digitizing of archival material; documenting, photographing, and cataloging of artifact collections; exhibition development, design and curation; developing training materials for Tribal artists, including workshops on small business build out, website management, online sales and utilization of social media platforms; designing social media content for the museum and creating blog posts to share internally with the Tribal community. All internships will include clerical activities, operational tasks, research, writing content (social media, exhibition, resource materials, etc.), assisting with public and private museum tours, and providing services related to public outreach. If desired, the intern will also have the opportunity to actively work on other Tribal projects under the Cultural Resources Department.
Outcomes: The tasks and project undertaken are negotiable, with the primary goal being to move the mission of the museum forward and enrich the student's understanding of the history, culture, and community of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe.
About: The Pamunkey Indian Museum & Cultural Center is owned and operated by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. The museum is administered under the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department. The focus of the museum is to share the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s history and way of life from over 12,000 years ago through to the present. The museum opened on October 11, 1980 and has remained relatively unchanged for over the last 40 years. Currently, the museum is undergoing significant transformations in the public and collection storage spaces. All of the work being conducted at the museum is in consultation and collaboration with Pamunkey Tribal Citizens.
 
Dumfries, Virginia
One internship
TBD
 
Scottsville Museum - POSITION FILLED
Scottsville, Virginia
One part-time internship 
Museum Research Project
Terms: Seeking an advanced undergraduate or graduate student with an interest in history as revealed by material culture, who has computer skills and a passion for organization. Personal transportation is required, as part of the project involves work at the Scottsville Museum and within the community.  There will also be some research which may be done via home computer and scanning which can be done at the University of Virginia’s art department under the supervision of one of our Board Members. The internship will be between Monday, May 22nd through Sunday, August 13th, including a formal project presentation to the museum board on the first
Saturday in August, an possible exhibition, and a written article for our newsletter and website. This 10-week internship is part-time (16-24 hours per week) and pays $12-$13//hour (undergraduate) or $15/hour (graduate).
Goals: The Scottsville Museum is a small-town museum with a limited budget run by volunteers. In 2023, several board members curated an exhibition “Still I Rise,” featuring the courage and resilience of local African-American families. The exhibit featured churches, community organizations, and families who united to make meaningful lives for themselves and to educate their children. The museum is interested in continuing our research on the items loaned for the exhibition, with the goal of expanding our archives on African-American families, and nearby schools and organizations. Through research on specific items or themes, our interns will deepen
their historical research skills, gain hands-on experience working with archives, and play a role in telling our town or area’s stories.
Outcomes: With the guidance of three of the members of the Museum Board, the intern will undertake research to illuminate the significance of objects, which will form the basis for a small exhibition either at the Museum or as a digital exhibition on the web. In addition, the intern(s) will write a four- to five-page report reviewing the summer’s work and give a brief report to the Scottsville Museum Board of Directors at the August board meeting.
About: The Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit, incorporated organization which seeks to preserve for the public benefit the historical, natural, and artistic heritage of the Scottsville community and surrounding areas of southern Albemarle County. It is housed in a former Disciples of Christ Church, built in 1846, and its adjacent parsonage, the Barclay House. The latter building has been renovated to create research and meeting space, and to house technical systems, archives, library, and storage space. The Museum is on Main Street in downtown Scottsville. It displays permanent and rotating exhibits relating to the town and its history. It is open to the public on weekends from April to October, and by appointment at other times. Should a prospective intern be interested in visiting the Museum, a private tour can be arranged by contacting Connie Geary at info@scottsvillemuseum.com.
 
Stratford Hall- POSITION FILLED
Stratford, Virginia
One internship
African American Descendant Engagement Intern
Terms: Stratford Hall seeks an advanced undergraduate intern majoring in African American Studies, History, Anthropology, or Public History for a six-week internship focusing on African American descendant engagement. Successful candidates will have demonstrated interest in community engagement, program planning, historical research, and public history. Intern must be able to work 30-40 hours a week, including the weekend of July 22-23, when Stratford holds its annual First Africans Day. Stratford Hall is located in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and offers on-site housing as part of the internship package. This internship will pay $15 per hour for 260 hours of work, schedule to be negotiated with the employer. 
Goals and Outcomes: The intern will work under the direction of Vice President of Collections and Public Engagement, Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, and duties will be in support of Stratford Hall’s dedication to descendant engagement, including historical research, assisting with oral history and documentary film production, community outreach, event planning, and general office duties as assigned.
About: Stratford Hall is a National Historic Landmark located in Westmoreland County, VA nestled along the Potomac River. A publicly accessible museum and historic site for over ninety years and home to the only two brothers to have signed the Declaration of Independence, Stratford Hall will leverage the upcoming 250th Anniversary of the birth of our nation to reintroduce our broad and diverse stories to our communities and stakeholders.
 
Charlottesville, Virginia (hybrid options available)
Two internships 
Archival research and transcription
Terms: Advanced undergraduate or graduate student with background in American history. The intern will work with the President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation on the history of the University of Virginia, 1865-1965. This will involve archival research, document photographing, and professional transcription/editing of historical documents. Intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. Hybrid work options available. These internships pay $15/hr.
Goals: Primary responsibilities include archival research, document photographing, and professional documentary transcription (we will train first), proofreading, and writing of descriptive primary document-based essays as part of the university’s public confronting of its own difficult past. Interns will also learn Omeka metadata entry to prepare documents for publication on the PCUAS website.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above. At the end of the summer, the intern will have a detailed understanding of both the technical processes involved in archival research, public history, and the post-1865 history of the University of Virginia.
About: The President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation (PCUAS) is co-directed by Andrea Douglas, Executive Director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and Kirt von Daacke, Professor (History) and Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences. PCUAS is funded by the President’s Office and is charged with exploring and reporting on UVA’s historical relationship with the era of segregation, especially as it connects to the Charlottesville/Albemarle community.
About: The President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation (PCUAS) is co-directed by Andrea Douglas, Executive Director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and Kirt von Daacke, Professor (History & American Studies) and Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences. PCUAS is funded by the President’s Office and is charged with exploring and reporting on UVA’s historical relationship with the era of segregation, especially as it connects to the Charlottesville/Albemarle community.
 
Virginia Folklife Program, Virginia Humanities - ALL POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia (or remote)
Three internships
Assistant to Virginia State Folklorist and Digital Media Specialist
Terms: The Virginia Folklife Program seeks an intern to work closely with the Virginia State Folklorist and Digital Media Specialist on a variety of projects. Graduate students should have at least one year of study in a folklife-related field (see below) and demonstrated interested in traditional or community-based arts and/or arts administration. Advanced undergraduates should have coursework related to folklife (ethnomusicology, anthropology, history, American Studies, or other arts and culture fields). Interns must be able to work a minimum of 8 hours a week, with 16-20 hours a week preferred. The Virginia Folklife Program offices are located at the Dairy Market on Preston Avenue in Charlottesville, and interns may work in person, remotely, or hybrid. This internship is for 200 hours o er the course of the summer, and pays $15/hr for undergraduates and $20/hour for graduate students.
Goals and Outcomes: Interns’ duties will include some combination of: processing fieldwork materials (interview transcription); developing profiles of artists for our website and social media; design social media content;  supporting Apprenticeship Program (event planning, application review, etc.); assisting with the Richmond Folk Life Festival; market research and/or audience survey development; writing content for our online publication Sights & Sounds. If desired, the intern will also have the opportunity to design and undertake independent fieldwork on a region, tradition, or community in Virginia to add to our archives and publish on Sights & Sounds.
About: The Virginia Folklife Program is the state center for the documentation, presentation, support, and celebration of Virginia’s rich cultural heritage. The Virginia Folklife Program was established in 1989 as part of Virginia Humanities, the state humanities council, with funding support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts Folk Arts Program. Whether sung or told, hand-crafted or performed, Virginia’s rich folklife refers to those “arts of everyday life” that reflect a sense of traditional knowledge and connection to community. Virginia’s folkways are rich with traditions that have been rooted in the Commonwealth for centuries, as well as those that more recently have been carried here and nourished by Virginia’s diverse immigrant communities.
 
Richmond, Virginia
One internship 
Architecture/history researcher
Terms: undergraduate intern with coursework in history/architectural history (20th-century US preferred) and the following qualifications: some experience in primary source research and secondary reading; effective written and verbal communication skills; neat handwriting; knowledge or interest in architectural history. The intern will report to the Senior Archivist. This internship will be performed onsite at our museum located in Richmond. The Virginia Museum of History and culture is committed to diversity and inclusion. This internship will pay $15 per hour for 280 hours of work, schedule to be negotiated with the employer. 
Goals: The intern will work with the Senior Archivist and collections management staff to process the papers of a noted architectural historian based in Williamsburg.
Outcomes: Expected outcome is the inventory and rehousing of the collection, and completion of a finding aid for researchers to access the collection.
About: The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society—a private, non-profit organization. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia, and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation. For use in its state history museum and its renowned research library, the historical society cares for a collection of nearly nine million items representing the ever-evolving story of Virginia. 

SUMMER 2022 INTERNSHIPS

Danville, Virginia 
Collections and exhibitions, videography 
Terms: The DMFAH is a community museum with a focus on the Civil War and Civil Rights eras and the history of the tobacco and textile industries in the Dan River region. We seek an advanced undergraduate or May graduate to conduct oral history interviews with people who participated in the Civil Rights struggle in Danville during the 1960’s. A background in American studies, U.S. history, museum studies, oral history, or videography is preferred. Curiosity, adaptability, and self-starter qualities are valued. Students who thrive in a cohesive, team-based environment, and who are excited by the possibilities of working closely across departments in a small museum where many hats are worn, are ideal. Candidates under-represented in the museum field are strongly encouraged to apply. This internship pays $10 an hour for 300 hours of on-site work.  
Goals:  The intern will partner with community leaders to plan and execute a “History Harvest” project about the Civil Rights Era in Danville. They will be responsible for shooting informal videos of citizens talking about their experiences. Other duties include: developing interview checklists; creating interview agendas; communicating with community leaders, including development of MOUs; conducting oral history interviews. Additional responsibilities may include transcribing and cataloging interviews; preparing interviews for marketing purposes; conducting a community engagement event. The intern will be responsible for logging their time daily.
Outcomes: The intern will conduct and film oral history interviews with Danville citizens who participated in the Civil Rights struggle there in the 1960s. They will also gain familiarity with museum best practices and AAM policies regarding historical interviews, and work closely with the NAACP, AKA (Alpha Kappa Alpha), and City Council leaders.
About: Located in the heart of downtown, the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is known for its dynamic exhibition programs and its exceptional Civil Rights Timeline. Through exhibitions and educational programming about the Civil War, Civil Rights era, and local industries, the DMFAH serves a site for transformational community conversations through mindful listening and recording. It also holds a large 20th-century art collection that is often woven into the curatorial narratives of exhibitions. 
 
Finding Virginia's Freetowns - POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Two to three internships available
Archival research, oral history, and digital mapping
Terms: Seeking 3-5 graduate and/or undergraduate interns to help identify and map central Virginia “freetowns”—settlements founded by emancipated Blacks during Reconstruction. All interns must have proven research, writing, communication, and analytical skills; one or more internships will require experience using ArcGIS digital mapping tools. Coursework in African American history, or demonstrated evidence of interest in that history is essential. Photography skills and experience interviewing people are a plus, but not a requirement. Some of the internships require a car or access to one; interns will be reimbursed for mileage. These internships pay $20/hr for grad students and $15/hr for undergrads, for 150-300 hours of work over the summer.
Goals: Interns will divide up responsibilities for digging through archives, both paper and digital, in Special Collections and elsewhere; documenting and photographing (with permission) examples of historic Black churches in counties surrounding C’ville; conducting oral history interviews; and creating ArcGIS maps and digital StoryMaps. Interns will meet weekly with UVA professors and community partners overseeing the project.
Outcomes: ArcGIS maps, StoryMaps, spreadsheets and written reports and summaries of research findings.
About: If you stand on Cowherd Mountain in Orange County, Va., and look in any direction, you’ll see a vast, shallow crater of land that stretches over three central Virginia counties: Albemarle, Louisa, and Orange. In the eighteenth century, more than a dozen plantations were built and worked here by enslaved laborers. Many of them still exist today, and many of those have been the subject of intense scrutiny by historians and memoirists who have documented the lives of the white slave-owners and, in recent years and to a lesser extent, the Black laborers who called this landscape home. Largely undocumented, however, are the 50 or more “freedom communities” that flourished here from the middle of the nineteenth century, when they were occupied by free Blacks; through Reconstruction, when they were joined by settlements of emancipated Blacks; and into the twentieth century, when they continued to provide a measure of security and self-determination for Blacks circumscribed by the violence of Jim Crow. Almost all of these communities, centers of Black endurance and achievement, have vanished. Or more accurately, they have been erased by the agents and agencies of white supremacy. The stories of how these communities were built, and the people who built and nurtured them, still live in the memories of lifelong Black residents of these central Virginia counties. There are still traces of them on the landscape. There is documentary evidence waiting to be unearthed in plantation records, historical maps, tax filings, photograph collections, newspaper archives, and other records held in, for example, UVA’s Special Collections. They have a particular story to tell about how community is built and sustained across time in the most challenging of conditions. They also provide evidence of the rural equivalents of massacres like the one white supremacists inflicted on the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, OK, in 1921: central Virginia had its Tulsas, and they devastated these communities. Finding and beginning to document Virginia’s freetowns will be the work of this project, and the summer interns hired as contributors.
 
Gibbes Museum of Art - POSITION FILLED
Charleston, South Carolina
Collections and exhibitions
Terms: The intern will be introduced to the day-to-day operations of a mid-sized art museum. This unique opportunity will be available to an undergraduate rising third- or fourth-year with a particular interest in American art and art history preferred. Background in art history, American studies, or museum studies is required. Curiosity, adaptability, and self-starter qualities are valued. Students who thrive in a cohesive, team-based environment, and who are excited by the possibilities of working closely across departments in a mid-size museum are ideal. Candidates under-represented in the museum field are strongly encouraged to apply. This internship pays $10 an hour for 300 hours of on-site work. 
Goals:  The intern will assist with the planning, development, and execution of special exhibitions and changes to the permanent collection galleries as well as activities related to collections management. Duties to include: the development of object checklists, creation of installation plans, loan initiation, and communication with artists and lenders. Additionally, assisting with annual collections inventory, cataloging new acquisitions, preparing works for outgoing loan, researching objects, and writing label copy for upcoming exhibitions and the mobile app will be part of the intern’s responsibilities.
Outcomes: Outcomes expected are an overall familiarity with museum collections care, policy and practice; familiarity with exhibitions planning, development and execution; and an understanding of museum values, ethics and goals in a professional team oriented environment that believes art museums serve as spaces for transformational community conversations.
About: Located in the heart of downtown Charleston, South Carolina, the Gibbes Museum of Art is known for its dynamic exhibition programs and its exceptional collection of American art that provides a vibrant introduction to the visual culture of America and the American South from the colonial era to the present. The Museum presents six to eight special exhibitions annually, and organizes over 100 educational programs and events that respond to the region’s unique art history, Charleston's diverse demographics, and its reputation as a top tourist destination in the United States.
 
Louisa, Virginia
Digitization of historic documents
Terms: Seeking an undergraduate to organize and digitize historic documents associated with a prestigious central Virginia easement program in Louisa County, Va., initiated by Historic Green Springs, Inc., a nonprofit organization. Training and equipment will be provided to the selected candidate. A work site will be set up on UVA grounds, but some remote work is also possible. This internship pays $10/hr for 250 hours of work.
Goals: This position will be crucial to the effort to digitize the easements and associated documents that made the establishment of the Green Springs Historic Landmark District possible. The intern will be trained in these skills, but experience creating spreadsheets and scanning documents is a plus.
Outcomes: Documents scanned and organized into an electronic file structure linked to a simple spreadsheet index.
Background: HGSI was formed in 1973 and is the first easement program in Virginia to be linked to both the National Landmarks Program and the National Environmental Protection Act. Since the organization was formed, nearly 14,000 acres of conservation and historic preservation easements have been implemented in the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District.  
 
Morven Summer Institute - POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Two internships available
Research and teaching assistants
Terms: We seek two upper-level undergraduate students with relevant coursework in American History and/or African American Studies to serve as research assistants for the 2022 Morven Summer Institute class, ARH 4500/AAS 4559: Morven’s Enslaved and Descendant Communities (May 23-June 17). The interns will assist with (1) video documentation and social media posts of class activities, including field trips; (2) the transcription of archival materials, such as handwritten letters, wills, deeds, etc.; and (3) the cataloging of digital objects for ongoing research and curated displays. Experience with social media is a plus, but no prior experience or training in digital technology is required. Interns will be supervised by the course instructor, Dr. Scot French, a specialist in digital and public history. Internship start and end dates will be set by the supervisor. This internship pays $12 per hour for 240 hours over the course of 8-10 weeks (25-30 hours per week).
Goals: Our primary goal for these paired internships are: (1) to document class activities through video and social media and build public awareness/support for ongoing research and site interpretation at Morven; and (2) to build a digital archive of student- and faculty-generated research (scanned documents, transcriptions, bibliographies, etc.) and related presentations/reports for use in ongoing research and curated displays. Interns will have an opportunity to work with 19th century historical records, such as newspaper advertisements, handwritten letters, wills, and deeds.
Outcomes: Interns will contribute to video and social media documentation of the summer class and the development of an accessible/searchable digital repository of student- and faculty-generated materials that will help tell the story of Morven’s enslaved and descendant communities. Interns will gain valuable experience in videography and social media, historical research, and digital humanities tools/methods.
About: The 2,913-acre UVA Foundation-owned property known today as Morven has a complex, multi-layered history spanning thousands of years of human occupation. Located in southwestern Albemarle County, not far from Monticello, the site has attracted new interest from researchers since its acquisition by UVA in 2001. Today, Morven is home to a multi-disciplinary research and teaching initiative known as the Morven Summer Institute. ARCH 4500/AAS 4559 Morven’s Enslaved and Descendant Communities (May 23-June 17) invites students to explore the lives and labors of African Americans at Morven through a combination of lectures, discussions, field trips, and guided research. Led by co-instructors Lenora McQueen and Scot French, students will learn about each of the site’s distinct periods of occupation, from 17th and 18th century Monacan Indian encampments to the British land grant era of the Carter Estate (1730s-1790s), post-Revolutionary Era experiments in small-scale tenant farming and agricultural reform at William Short’s “Indian Camp” (1790s-1810s), and the rise of large-scale plantation slavery under David Higginbotham (1820s-1853) and D.G. Smith (1853-1865). Students will also explore the post-emancipation transition to free labor systems (sharecropping, tenancy, wage labor) and the formation of descendant communities throughout Albemarle County. Students will maintain research blogs, work in small groups to examine/interpret primary sources, report new findings, and produce a multimedia or poster-style project for public presentation at Morven.
 
Buckingham County, Cumberland County, and remote
Two internships available
Archival research and digital mapping
Terms: We seek two advanced undergraduates or May graduates to create an online searchable database from real and personal property tax records of newly emancipated Black citizens between 1866 and 1870 in two central Virginia counties. This will assist community members searching for enslaved ancestors, and historians researching the under-studied period of Black achievement and self-empowerment that occurred during Reconstruction before the violence and repression of the Jim Crow era intervened. This is a partnership between Prof. Lisa Goff in the American Studies Department and One Shared Story, a Black history organization in central Virginia that uses genealogy and digital mapping tools to document and share hidden and erased histories. Much of this work will be conducted onsite at the county courthouses, but  some can be done remotely. Interns must have their own transportation to/from courthouses in the two counties; they will be reimbursed for mileage. This internship pays $12.50/hr for 300 hours of work.
Goals: 1. Locate property transfers within the 1866-1870 period that show African American property purchases. These record searches will be conducted at county courthouses in Buckingham and Cumberland counties and informed by data harvested from the County Property Tax records during the same period. Applicable property transfers will be entered into a searchable database, which will also be publicly accessible online.
2. Transcribe information from images of county personal property tax records into searchable online databases accessible to the public. 
3. Digitally map the information gathered from deeds and property tax records, using the ArcGIS StoryMap platform, and make the maps publicly available. 
4. Meet with community members from Cumberland and Buckingham counties to share information and digital maps of Reconstruction-era Black settlements resulting from project research. There are several options for this, including local Black churches and/or historical societies. 
Outcomes: This proposal has two main outcomes, one scholarly and one community engagement. The community engagement outcome is to make it easier for Black Virginians to trace their ancestors prior to the 1870 census, when surnames of formerly enslaved laborers were included for the first time. The scholarly outcome is to map and analyze the creation of independent settlements during Reconstruction by Black citizens in central Virginia, a pursuit that has the potential to expand or alter the way we think about the Great Migration that followed the end of the Civil War.
 
Prince William County Historic Preservation Division - POSITION FILLED
Prince William, Virginia
Researching Native Americans in the colonial period
Terms: In order to better document and interpret the Native American experience in the Prince William County area, the County archaeologist and historians are seeking an intern to prepare a document compiling and summarizing source material about Native Americans in the colonial period. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to work independently, possess strong oral and written communications skills, and strong organizational skills. Attendance at and reporting to the Prince William County Historical Commission during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting is required. The intern’s workspace will be in the Planning Office, at 5 County Complex Court, Suite 210, Prince William, VA, and/or in the offices of the Historic Preservation, in the Williams Ordinary at 17674 Main Street, Dumfries, VA 22026. Intern must provide own housing and have access to transportation to research repositories in Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. This internship pays $15/hr for 300 hours over the summer—roughly $4,500. 
Goals: Prepare a work plan and review with county staff and the Historical Commission. Conduct research on Native Americans in Prince William County and the immediate surrounding area from the year 1607 onward. This research will include interviews with experts in colonial Native American history in order to gather a comprehensive list of sources that explore the topic. Other resources will include applicable archaeological reports as recommended by the County archaeologist. The intern will compile and review these resources and will provide a brief description of each resource, including its relevance to Prince William County. The annotated bibliography will be prefaced by a short introductory essay that summarizes and describes the intern’s research.
Outcome: Prepare an annotated bibliography on Native Americans in Prince William County, Virginia from 1607 onward, that will inform future research and outreach in the County.
Background: This project is a collaboration between the Prince William County Historical Commission, the County Archaeologist, and the Historic Preservation Division.
 
Scottsville Museum - POSITION FILLED
Scottsville, Virginia
1-2 part-time internships available
Museum collections project
Terms: Seeking an advanced undergraduate student with an interest in history as revealed by material culture, who has computer skills and a passion for organization. Personal transportation is required, as part of the project involves work at the Scottsville Museum.  There will also be some research which may be done via home computer and scanning which can be done at the University of Virginia’s art department under the supervision of one of our Board Members. The internship will be June 11 to August 21, including a formal project presentation to the museum board on Saturday, August 13. These 10-week internships are part-time (16-24 hours per week). 
and pay $11-$13//hour (undergraduate) or $12-$15/hour (graduate) + mileage reimbursement.
Goals:  The Scottsville Museum is a small-town museum with a limited budget run by volunteers. We have a disparate collection of artifacts, nearly all received as gifts, and it can be a challenge to marshal them into a coherent exhibition. The last big push to sort out what we have was ten years ago, when we acquired the software, Past Perfect, and began to compile a digital record of our collection. This project lapsed when its instigators left the area, and now we need to update our database with new software, including recent acquisitions. We also need to scan print items not currently in our database and add them under specific subject headings. The newly catalogued items will be stored so that they can be found easily. We want to deepen our historical research on certain artifacts and to think about the role they play in telling our town’s story.
Outcome: With the guidance of three of the members of the Museum Board, the intern(s) will be trained in the use of Past Perfect and undertake the project of adding items in the collection to the database. They will also undertake some research to illuminate the significance of some objects, which will form the basis for a small exhibition either at the Museum or as a digital exhibition on the web. In addition, the intern(s) will write a four- to five-page report reviewing the summer’s work and give a brief report to the Scottsville Museum Board of Directors at its August 14, 2022 meeting.
Background: The Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit, incorporated organization which seeks to preserve for the public benefit the historical, natural, and artistic heritage of the Scottsville community of southern Albemarle County. It is housed in a former Disciples of Christ Church, built in 1846, and its adjacent parsonage, the Barclay House. The latter building has been renovated to create research and meeting space, and to house technical systems, archives, library, and storage space. The Museum is on Main Street in downtown Scottsville. It displays permanent and rotating exhibits relating to the town and its history. It is open to the public on weekends from April to October, and by appointment at other times. Should a prospective intern be interested in visiting the Museum, a private tour can be arranged by contacting Connie Geary at smuseum@avenue.org.
 
Charlottesville, Virginia
Legal Knowledge Podcast
Terms: The Special Collections department of the UVA Law Library seeks a graduate student or advanced undergraduate student to produce a history-themed podcast. The podcast, currently titled Legal Knowledge, is inspired by the Law School’s forthcoming book (UVA Press) that explores the transformation of legal education at UVA from the Law School’s founding in 1819 to the present. The book brings together authors from UVA and other institutions who write on topics such as teaching the laws of slavery, women in the legal curriculum, and students as change agents during the Civil Rights Movement. The podcast will promote the project via a limited series in which we interview each author about their respective chapter. In addition, the intern will assist with research and related tasks for the manuscript as needed and in support of the podcast. The intern must have strong research and organization skills and enjoy working in a collaborative environment. Experience with audio editing software, such as Adobe Audacity, is beneficial but not required. This internship pays $15/hr. for 300 hours of work.
Goals: Alongside the Law Library’s Special Collections team, the intern will assist with all aspects of the Legal Knowledge podcast. These responsibilities could include drafting questions and prompts, creating episode outlines, scheduling interviews, editing and mastering each episode, and producing episode transcripts. The intern may also conduct primary and secondary research at the UVA Law Library and other UVA repositories, in accordance with health and safety guidelines.
Outcome: The final product of this internship will be the creation of a podcast that consists of a series of five to ten interviews on the Law School’s history. The internship will offer professional development in historical research, podcast production, public history, and team-based project work in an institutional and academic archive.
About: The UVA School of Law was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is the second oldest continuously running law school in the United States. Law Special Collections is the institutional repository for the UVA School of Law and preserves and provides access to a diverse archive of legal history materials. Our collections include rare books, manuscripts, archival records and publications, faculty writing, and photographs. An important part of our mission is preserving, researching, and making accessible the history of the UVA School of Law.
 
UVA Miller Center - POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Researching the history of the Faulkner House and its site
Terms: As part of its 22nd Century Scholars program, the Miller Center is looking for a summer intern to help research the history of the Faulkner House and its site. The intern will research the history of the house and its occupants with a special emphasis on identifying enslaved people who lived or worked at the site. The project might also include looking into the building of the house and other surrounding properties and communities. Experience with archives and historical records is a plus as the intern will delve into materials from a variety of sources including (but not limited to) the UVA Special Collections Library, personal property tax records, census data, the Library of Virginia, and other sources. The 22nd Century Scholars program runs for 5 weeks from July 5 to August 5 with a commitment of 10-15 hours per week and a stipend of $2,000. To learn more about the program, visit https://millercenter.org/22nd-century-scholars-program.
Goals: This position will be crucial to Miller Center efforts to identify and learn more about enslaved descendants who lived and worked at the Faulkner House. This is part of a university-wide effort to learn more about the history of its properties.
Outcomes: The intern will collect digitized documents (if possible) and write a research paper that tells the story of the people involved with the history of the Faulkner House.
About: The Miller Center is a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential scholarship, public policy, and political history.
 
Charlottesville, Virginia
Seven internships in Charlottesville, Richmond, Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Vicksburg MS
Internship #1: Vicksburg National Military Park - POSITION FILLED
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, the Vicksburg National Military Park is seeking an undergraduate or a graduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. Internship start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks, and includes housing). 
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center and may include historical research, frontline interpretation, and content development for the park website, NPS app, and social media sites. Potential areas of focus include untold stores, US Colored Troops, public memory, and Occupation /Reconstruction. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship. The summer internship includes housing at the Park.
About: Vicksburg National Military Park protects close to 2,000 acres in and around the city of Vicksburg, MS, commemorating the story of the siege of Vicksburg from May 18-July 4, 1863. Both Union and Confederate governments saw the vital importance in Vicksburg and its location for controlling the Mississippi River. Victory here gave the Union army control of the Mississippi River throughout the rest of the Civil War. The Military Park includes 1,325 historic monuments and markers, making it one of the largest collections of outdoor art in the world. The Military Park also tells the story of the occupation and post-war period of Reconstruction in Vicksburg. This is a unique time in the history of the park as it is in the initial stages of an expansion to manage new sites to better protect and interpret the larger Vicksburg Campaign.
 
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is seeking an undergraduate or a graduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks, and includes housing). Internships start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship is generously funded by the Carl Sewell family.
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center and could include research, engagement with visitors to the Park, and preparation of historical papers, and work for the NPS websites.  The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship. The summer internship includes housing at the Park.
About: The National Park Service unit headquartered in Fredericksburg encompasses four major Civil War battlefields, cemeteries containing U.S. soldiers, monuments from the commemorative era, and historic structures dating from the 18th through the 20th centuries. The site interprets a wide range of events, including the battles of Fredericksburg (1862) Chancellorsville (1863), the Wilderness (1864), and Spotsylvania (1864); the experience of black and white refugees; the trauma of civilians caught in the path of war; and postwar activities that recalled and interpreted the conflict.
 
Internship #3: Manassas National Battlefield Park  - POSITION FILLED
Manassas, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, the Manassas National Battlefield Park is seeking an undergraduate or a graduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. Internship start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks, and includes housing).
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center and may include historical research, frontline interpretation, content development for the park website and social media sites, and curatorial assistance with routine museum housekeeping.  The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship. The summer internship includes housing at the Park.
About: Manassas National Battlefield Park comprises approximately 5,000 acres and preserves the site of two major battles of the American Civil War – the First and Second Battles of Manassas (Bull Run).  Among the park’s historic features are multiple 19th century structures, military and civilian cemeteries, and commemorative monuments.  Areas of interpretive emphasis include: the military events surrounding the First and Second Battles of Manassas (1861 & 1862); how the two battles reflect the transformation of the Civil War in purpose, scale, and method; the experience of civilians, both free and enslaved; and the memorialization of the battlefield landscape.
 
Internship #4: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park - POSITION FILLED
Appomattox, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is seeking an undergraduate or a graduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. Internship start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks, and includes housing).
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center to assist the park’s Curator and Historian.  In the curatorial realm the intern will assist the museum technician and the museum curator with routine housekeeping, and environmental monitoring in historic houses, exhibit spaces, and collection storage areas. The intern will also assist museum staff with conducting the mandatory Annual Inventory of Museum Property and help correct deficiencies in locations and documentation. The intern will learn to safely handle museum objects while unpacking and packing museum objects for storage, exhibits, or loans, as well as work on cataloging artifacts for the Park’s collection.  For the Park Historian the intern will research and begin compiling a master list of Appomattox Campaign casualties.  This will also include up updating the Appomattox Court House casualty list.  Some transcription work of letters and diaries may also occur. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship. The summer internship includes housing at the Park. 
About: The National Park Service unit at Appomattox Court House encompasses 1,700 acres, including the historic village and two Civil War battlefields, numerous cemeteries—military and civilian, several monuments from the commemorative era, and historic structures dating from to the 19th century. The site interprets a wide range of events, including the Appomattox Campaign; the battles of Appomattox Station and Appomattox Court House; the African American and white civilian experience; the surrender and the events/results stemming from the surrender on April 9, 1865.
 
Charlottesville, Virginia
Terms: Undergraduate student with strong research and writing skills, with a background in American history and familiarity with the local history of Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville a plus. The intern will work directly under the ACHS’s Executive Director and Programs & Volunteers Coordinator and work closely with the ACHS’s Research Librarian. The intern will research and write articles and pages to be published on the cvillpedia.org wiki, focused on local history during the Civil War and the 19th century. Workspace will be provided in our Downtown Charlottesville office, but the intern will have the ability to work remotely if needed. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer (30 hrs a week for 10 weeks).
Goals: Primary responsibilities include research in ACHS’s library, other local libraries as needed, and online digital databases, and writing articles for cvillepedia.org about local history during the Civil War and the 19th century. The intern will work with ACHS staff to assess relevant archival resources held in the Society’s collections that may be digitized and made accessible online. The intern may be asked to staff the Society’s library periodically and assist library patrons with their research. At the end of the summer, the intern will present on their work in an online program, and take part in a cvillepedia.org user cultivation event as a trainer.
Outcome: ACHS staff and the intern will work together to determine specific historical subjects, topics, events, people, etc. that the intern will create articles and pages for cvillepedia.org. At the end of the summer, the intern will have added a significant number of pages and articles to the site, and understand the processes involved with researching and writing for a local history wiki. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship.
About: The ACHS has served the local community for over 80 years. The role of the Society throughout this time has been to collect, preserve, and interpret local history. We envision a new role for local historical societies in the twenty-first century, embracing technology and digital archives to expand accessibility to historical information. Cvillepedia was created by Charlottesville Tomorrow in 2009 and has grown to be a source for community knowledge and history of the people, places, and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The ACHS, in partnership with Charlottesville Tomorrow and the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, is initiating a comprehensive strategic plan for Cvillepedia’s future—to facilitate improvement and expansion through community partnerships, to ensure the site is an equitably accessible archive for local history, and to envision the platform as a community-driven historical resource for and by local citizens that benefits the whole community. The scope of information currently found within Cvillepedia is heavily weighted towards more modern history and current events. The ACHS proposes to use Cvillepedia as a platform to provide access to the historical records and materials found in our collections, and elsewhere, and cultivating local community users to create this information.
 
Internship #6: Daughters of Zion Cemetery  - POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Research in historical records
Terms: Undergraduate student intern will conduct research on the cemetery’s early decades (1873-1900), in particular on the people buried in the cemetery who were born before or during the Civil War. Another focus will be the histories of the founders of the cemetery. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: The cemetery, a unique form of built landscape, offers a rich and largely unexplored site for documenting and interpreting the history of enslaved and free blacks in Charlottesville both before and after Emancipation. Founded during Reconstruction by the Daughters of Zion Society, a sororal organization, the private cemetery provided a dignified alternative to the segregated Oakwood Cemetery across the street; as such, it offers a unique framework for interpreting the history of the antebellum African Americans who founded self-help organizations and promoted African-American commerce, education, and entrepreneurship during Reconstruction. It also provides material for closer analysis of sororal African-American organizations, which have not received as much attention as their fraternal counterparts.
Outcomes: The intern will work closely with a UVA faculty member, as well as the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, to develop specific outcomes for the internship, which may include written research reports. The chief outcome will be new, primary research that amplifies the Civil War and Reconstruction history of the cemetery, and by extension, Charlottesville. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship.
About: The cemetery was founded in 1873 by a group of African-American women who wanted to provide private burial services and a cemetery for black Charlottesvillians. The Daughters of Zion Society also owned a community center, called Zion Hall, which housed many local civic and religious groups and events. After decades of neglect, another group of committed local women, the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, formed in 2015 to restore the cemetery. Their approach to restoration, which includes restoring its public memory as well as its physical beauty, constitutes a new paradigm for presenting the public history of African-American spaces.
  
Internship #7 American Civil War Museum- POSITION FILLED
Richmond, Virginia (and remote)
Exhibition research and educational materials
Terms: The Edward L. Ayers Center for Civil War & Emancipation Studies at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond seeks an undergraduate intern with coursework in history (19th-century US preferred but not required) and the following qualifications: some experience in primary source research and secondary reading; effective written and verbal communication skills; access to the internet and transportation to visit Richmond on occasion. The intern, who will report to the Curator of Exhibitions, needs to work well with minimal supervision. While the majority of this internship may be performed remotely, occasional tasks must be performed at the Museum’s Historic Tredegar location in Richmond. The American Civil War Museum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Candidates who bring diverse experiences, perspectives, and talents are especially encouraged to apply. We believe that an inclusive culture among our staff is critical to implementing our mission to understand the Civil War era’s history and its impact on our lives today. This internship pays $10/hr for 300 hours of work over the course of 8 weeks in the summer; start and end dates to be negotiated with the employer.
Goals: The intern will work with the Exhibits team at the Ayers Center to provide research and other program support for several projects within “Remaking America,” a three-year initiative that will engage audiences with essential issues from the American Civil War Era through exhibits, programs, and other interpretive offerings.
Outcomes: Perform archival research in private manuscript, state government, and digital archives as necessary for four separate exhibition projects. Perform historiographical reporting for four separate exhibition projects. Provide support for testing interactive or conceptual elements on two exhibition projects. Provide support in developing supplemental material, such as potential gallery guides and educational resources for two exhibition projects. Conduct weekly meetings with Curator of Exhibits for progress updates and mentorship. Additional opportunities for professional learning and mentorship available based on interests and project requirements of both the intern and project.
About: The American Civil War Museum is a national resource for connecting people to the history and legacies of the American Civil War. With locations in Richmond and Appomattox, Virginia, the Museum explores the stories of the Civil War Era through our award-winning exhibits and programs. The Edward L. Ayers Center creates on- and off-site interpretive offerings that are strategic, engaging, accurate, relevant, and audience-centered. Through these offerings, visitors both emotionally and intellectually explore the cause, course, and legacies of the American Civil War era. Such offerings support the mission of the American Civil War Museum (ACWM); enhance relationships between the museum, its audiences, and its partners; and support the desired impact of the museum’s larger interpretive plan and strategic plan.
 
Charlottesville, Virginia
Twelve insternships available
Camp counselor/research assistants
Terms: Advanced undergraduate with background in American history. Interns will work with the President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation on the history of the University of Virginia, 1865-1965. The interns will facilitate the Cornerstone Summer Institute (CSI) as a camp counselor. CSI is an eye-opening week-long summer program for high school students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) that takes place at the University of Virginia. Students will explore grounds, Charlottesville, and historic sites (Monticello, Montpelier, etc.) to learn about slavery and its legacies, meanwhile developing thinking skills that prepare them for success in college and beyond. The program focuses on uncovering the history of the area through historical investigation, archaeological excavation, and community engagement. The standard 300 hours of work will be split: 200 hours for the camp and 100 hours of research.
The camp will run from June 18th-25th and student counselors will be expected to live on grounds from Thursday, June 16th through Saturday June 25th. They will also take part in training activities during the spring semester. We will provide housing and meals throughout the duration of the camp. After the camp ends, interns will shift to archival research, document photographing, and professional transcription/editing of historical documents. Intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. 
This internship pays $11/hr.
Goals: Primary responsibilities include mentoring and instructing high school students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) learn about the history of slavery and its legacies in Charlottesville and reckon with their own racial identities and their place in the world. Each counselor will lead a project group of 5-6 campers and serve as a role model for all. After the camp ends, the intern will then shift to archival research, document photographing, and professional documentary transcription, proofreading, and writing of descriptive primary document-based essays as part of the university’s public confronting of its own difficult past. At the end of the summer, each intern will write a brief reflection on their experience with PCUAS.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above. At the end of the summer, the intern will have a detailed understanding of both the technical processes involved in archival research, public history, and the post-1865 history of the University of Virginia.
Background: The President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation (PCUAS) is co-directed by Andrea Douglas, Executive Director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and Kirt von Daacke, Professor (History & American Studies) and Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences. PCUAS is funded by the President’s Office and is charged with exploring and reporting on UVA’s historical relationship with the era of segregation, especially as it connects to the Charlottesville/Albemarle community.
 
Charlottesville, Virginia (and remote)
Archaeological research
Terms: We seek an upper-level undergraduate student with strong research and writing skills, with relevant coursework in American History, African American Studies and/or Archaeology to serve as an archaeological research intern. The intern will assist with a digital project to document and interpret the history of archaeological investigation on the University of Virginia campus through a virtual exhibition. This work will include collecting and uploading data to a StoryMaps platform, describing objects and locations, and working on User Experience design to develop a coherent, interactive exhibit. 
Experience with material culture and digital history platforms, such as StoryMaps, is a plus, but no prior experience or training in digital technology or archaeological description is required. Internship start and end dates will be set by the supervisor. This internship pays $15 per hour for 80-100 hours over the course of 5-7 weeks, beginning in May 2022. The first week will include in-person work in Charlottesville, after which the internship can be completed remotely.
Goals: To expand a digital exhibition that features archival and archaeological research in an interactive, user-friendly format. Through research, maps, photography, and objects, the exhibition will offer a glimpse into the material lives of people who have lived at UVA. This interdisciplinary project will also increase accessibility of primary and archaeological sources, while placing them into their geographic spaces.
Outcomes: The intern will identify objects and primary sources to be highlighted in the exhibition. The intern will also contribute captions and metadata to the virtual platform, expanding the digital exhibition with catalog information and interpretive details. This work will help us better tell the stories of the many people who have lived, studied and labored on this land.
 
Richmond, Virginia
Archival processing assistant, corporate records 
Terms: undergraduate intern with coursework in history (20th-century US preferred) and the following qualifications: some experience in primary source research and secondary reading; effective written and verbal communication skills. Knowledge or interest in business history and course work in economics is a plus. The intern will report to the Senior Archivist. This internship will be performed onsite at our museum located in Richmond. The Virginia Museum of History and culture is committed to diversity and inclusion. Work schedule to be negotiated with the employer. Housing is to be provided by the candidate. This internship pays $15 per hour for 280 hours (roughly $4200).
Goals: The intern will work with the Senior Archivist and collections management staff to finish processing the Reynolds Metals Corporate records. Reynolds Metals, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, was one of the largest aluminum businesses in the world in the late 20th century. The Reynolds Metals Corporate records are one of the largest archival collections in the Virginia Museum of History and Culture’s holdings. 
Outcomes: Intern will arrange and describe a variety of records according to institutional practices, and conduct research on processed records to aid in the writing of a finding aid for use by researchers.  
About: The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society—a private, non-profit organization. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia, and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation. For use in its state history museum and its renowned research library, the historical society cares for a collection of nearly nine million items representing the ever-evolving story of Virginia. 
 

SUMMER 2021 INTERNSHIPS 

Danville, Virginia
One internship available
Historical education research, program development, and signage
Terms: The museum seeks a well-organized undergraduate or graduate student (May graduate also fine) who is interested in revealing unrepresented African American and Native American histories in Danville, Virginia. The intern/s will work on historical education research and program development, as well as updated curation and signage for the museum’s current collections. This internship pays $10 an hour (for 300 on-site hours)—roughly $3,000 for the summer. Food and lodging subsidies may be available for students who do not live in, or would be commuting to Danville.
Goals: The Danville Museum is in the process of pivoting from a Confederate house museum to a community regional museum that tells a complete story of the Dan River region’s history. A summer intern would assist in three top priorities: histories of African Americans and Native Americans, and labor history. The Museum is currently part of the Virginia Civil War Trail and is applying to be added to the Civil Rights Trail. 
Outcomes: The museum will work with the intern/s to assign them to projects that fit their skills and interests. Potential projects include:
* updating the language on the Civil War museum displays.
* rewriting materials for the Holbrook-Ross District tour of Danville, which covers the professional African-American neighborhood created shortly after the Civil War.
* converting hard copy files to digital Past Perfect files.
* working with the Carter G. Woodson education committee to integrate African American and Native American histories into our education offerings for the public schools and for the public.
* working on an exhibit about agriculture in Pittsylvania County that incorporates objects salvaged from the Tobacco and Textile Museum; funded by the Smithsonian CROSSROADS/Museum on Main program.
* digitizing film, video and audio cassettes as part of a grant funded by CLIR (Council on Library & Information Services).
Background: The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, established in 1974, is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to promote art, history, and culture in the Dan River Region. Its Board of Directors’ vision is to be the Dan River Region’s leader for integrated awareness of history, culture, and community. Located on Main Street in the heart of Danville, Virginia with its beautiful Sutherlin Mansion and grounds, the Museum serves as a hub of learning and celebrations, connecting area colleges, medical campuses, schools, historic districts, and a thriving Downtown River District.
 
Gibbes Museum of Art - POSITION FILLED
Charleston, South Carolina
One internship available
Collections and exhibitions
Terms: The intern will be introduced to the day-to-day operations of a mid-sized art museum. This unique opportunity will be available to an undergraduate rising junior or senior with a particular interest in American art and art history preferred. Background in art history, American studies, or museum studies is required. Curiosity, adaptability, and self-starter qualities are valued. Students who thrive in a cohesive, team-based environment, and who are excited by the possibilities of working closely across departments in a mid-size museum are ideal. Candidates under-represented in the museum field are strongly encouraged to apply. This internship pays $10 an hour for 300 hours of on-site work. 
Goals:  The intern will be exposed to the professional policies and practices that guide museums. In this position the intern will work closely with senior curatorial and collections teams in the planning, development and execution of special exhibitions, the rotation of the permanent collection galleries, and overall collections care and interpretation.
Outcomes: The intern will assist with the planning, development, and execution of special exhibitions and changes to the permanent collection galleries as well as activities related to collections management. Duties to include: the development of object checklists, creation of installation plans, loan initiation, and communication with artists and lenders. Additionally, assisting with annual collections inventory, cataloging new acquisitions, preparing works for outgoing loan, researching objects, and writing label copy for upcoming exhibitions and the mobile app will be part of the intern’s responsibilities. Outcomes expected are an overall familiarity with museum collections care, policy and practice; familiarity with exhibitions planning, development and execution; and an understanding of museum values, ethics and goals in a professional team oriented environment that believes art museums serve as spaces for transformational community conversations.
About the Gibbes Museum: Opened in 1905 by the Carolina Art Association, the Gibbes Museum of Art represents a long and impressive tradition of cultural leadership in historic Charleston, providing residents and visitors with access to a distinguished collection and an active, schedule of exhibits, programs and events. The Gibbes is known for its dynamic exhibition programs and its exceptional collection of American art that provides a vibrant introduction to the visual culture of America and the American South from the colonial era to the present,  The Gibbes is located in the heart of downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The Museum presents six to eight special exhibitions annually, and organizes over 100 educational programs and events that respond to the region’s unique art history, Charleston's diverse demographics, and its reputation as a top tourist destination in the United States.
 
Library of Virginia - POSITION FILLED
Richmond, Va.
One internship available
Educational website design and creation
Terms: The Library of Virginia, a state agency with incomparable collections that document the people and history of Virginia, seeks an undergraduate intern to create an online educational resource, “Virginia’s Constitutions,” accessible through the LVA Education Web site, www.edu.lva.virginia.gov, as part of the 50th anniversary commemoration of Virginia’s current constitution. The intern should be familiar with digital humanities tools. Remote work is possible.This internship pays $10 an hour, roughly $3,000 for the summer (30 hrs a week for 10 weeks between June and August). 
Goals: “Virginia’s Constitutions” will use an open source online content management system, such as WordPress, as the framework for an online education resource that examines themes such as how Virginia’s government has or has not become more equitable over time; how the Virginia state constitutions have empowered or excluded Virginians over time; or how often should the state constitution be changed and should change require a convention and plebiscite. The resource should be an attractive, easy-to-use, dynamic tool for educators and students.
Outcome: The intern will create a visually appealing resource with text, images, and other materials, including links to audio and video files, archival records, and other images from the LVA collection. Using stories of Virginians is a useful tool for engaging educators and students. At least one data visualization is expected. The web site should also have a moderated comments section. The intern will work in collaboration with LVA staff, including exhibitions coordinator, education staff, graphic designers, social media coordinator, IT, and editorial staff to review, discuss, and plan content of the resource. Accomplishing these goals requires computer skills and a good design sense as well as critical thinking, experience with historical research, and excellent writing skills to craft a creative presentation that will engage the education community as well as the general public. The project manager will be Barbara C. Batson, exhibitions coordinator.
About the Library of Virginia: Located in downtown Richmond, the Library was created by the General Assembly in 1823 to organize, care for, and manage the state's growing collection of books and official records. The collections illustrate the rich and varied past of the commonwealth, documenting the lives of Virginians whose deeds are known to all, as well as those of ordinary citizens whose accomplishments are the foundation of our heritage. The Library provides educational programs and resources on Virginia history and culture for students and teachers, and offers the public a wide array of exhibitions, lectures, book-signings, and other programs, supplies research and reference assistance to state officials, provides consulting services to state and local government agencies and to Virginia's public libraries, and administers numerous federal, state, and local grant programs.
 
One Shared Story - POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville and Louisa County, Va.
Three internships available
Archival research and digitization (TENTATIVE FOCUS)
Terms: Advanced undergraduate with interest in doing hands-on research in historic documents. Background in American history a plus. Applicants should have an interest in digital humanities and GIS and a desire to work with local communities to provide support for preserving, protecting and promoting their stories. Intern must provide own transportation to/from Louisa County. This internship pays $10/hr for 300 hours over the summer—roughly $3,000. 
Goals and Outcomes: One Shared Story works in Central Virginia to uncover documents of hidden history and make them publicly accessible. We will be scanning fragile historic documents in local collections (Louisa, Fluvanna, Orange) and loading these documents to our online digital archive. The selected candidate will be using scanners, organizing files, creating metadata, and working with community volunteers to develop data from the documents. Data development will include local volunteer transcriptions of documents and use of the ArcGIS platform to add spatial information where available. ESRI's configurable Story Maps will be used to curate archive items and/or data.
About One Shared Story: Our mission is to expand what we know about the past so we can better understand the present and work together to create compassionate inclusive communities for the future. To that end, we combine archival and genealogical research with digital mapping technologies to create publicly accessible databases devoted to African American history in Central Virginia. So far our work has concentrated on Louisa County and Buckingham County. Upcoming projects include using ArcGIS technology to map Emancipation-era cemeteries in Buckingham County, and researching public records related to slavery and Reconstruction in Louisa County.
 
Prince William County Historic Preservation Division- POSITION FILLED
Prince William, Virginia
One internship available 
Archival research, database creation, written report
Terms: Prince William County Historical Commission in partnership with the County Archaeologist and the Historic Preservation Division, is seeking an intern (preferably a graduate student) to conduct archival research and prepare a history, for publication, on services provided to the indigent in Prince William County, Virginia. The intern needs to demonstrate a capability to work independently; possess strong oral and written communications skills; and strong organizational skills. The candidate must have access to housing and transportation to the office and research repositories (see list below). Attendance at and reporting to the Prince William County Historical Commission during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting is required. The intern’s work space will be available in the Planning Office, at 5 County Complex Court, Suite 210, Prince William, VA, and possibly in the offices of the Historic Preservation Division, in the Williams Ordinary at 17674 Main Street, Dumfries, VA 22026. This internship pays $15/hr for 300 hours over the summer—roughly $4,500. 
Goals: The methods used in Prince William County to handle those considered indigent changed over the centuries, and the intern will research and document these changes. From the 1790s to the 1920s the county operated a poor house that was located within the modern boundaries of Prince William Forest Park. Despite the county courthouse moving multiple times during this period, the poor house remained in a permanent position. After 1920, the District Home was opened in Manassas and served Prince William, Arlington, and Fairfax counties and the city of Alexandria. In the 20th century the District evolved into Birmingham Green. Research repositories where the intern will do research include: Prince William Forest National Park, a division of the National Park Services; RELIC room of Bull Run Regional Library; Prince William County Courthouse; Library of Virginia, Richmond; National Archives and Library of Congress, D.C.
Outcome: The intern will prepare a work plan and review with county staff; conduct archival research, including primary source materials as well as secondary research materials, on services provided for the indigent in Prince William County; prepare a definition of “indigent” and an historic context or contexts; create a database with findings from archival research to determine any historical trends in who the County defined as indigent and how they were treated; prepare a written history for publication.
 
Scottsville Museum - POSITION FILLED
Scottsville, Virginia
One internship available
Museum collections project
Terms: Seeking an advanced undergraduate student with an interest in history as revealed by material culture, who has computer skills and a passion for organization. Personal transportation is required, as part of the project involves work at the Scottsville Museum (there is a stipend for mileage). There will also be some research which may be done via home computer and scanning which can be done at the University of Virginia’s art library under the supervision of one of our Board Members. The internship will be June 15 to August 15, including a formal presentation to the board. This internship pays $10/hour (undergraduate) $12-$15/hour (graduate) + mileage reimbursement. 
Goals:  The Scottsville Museum is a small-town museum with a limited budget run by volunteers. We have a disparate collection of artifacts, nearly all received as gifts, and it can be a challenge to marshall them into a coherent exhibition. The last big push to sort out what we have was ten years ago, when we acquired the software, Past Perfect, and began to compile a digital record of our collection. This project lapsed when its instigators left the area, and now we need to update our database with new software, including recent acquisitions. We also need to scan print items not currently in our database and add them under specific subject headings. The newly catalogued items should be stored so that they can be found easily. We want to deepen our historical research on certain artifacts and to think about the role they play in telling our town’s story.
Outcome: With the guidance of three of the members of the Museum Board, the intern will be trained in the use of Past Perfect and undertake the project of adding items in the collection to the database. They will also undertake some research to illuminate the significance of some objects, which will form the basis for a small exhibition at the Museum, ideally opening in the fall. In addition, the intern will write a four- to five-page report reviewing the summer’s work and give a brief report to the Scottsville Museum Board of Directors at its August 2020 meeting.
Background: The Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit, incorporated organization which seeks to preserve for the public benefit the historical, natural, and artistic heritage of the Scottsville community of southern Albemarle County. It is housed in a former Disciples of Christ Church, built in 1846, and its adjacent parsonage, the Barclay House. The latter building has been renovated to create research and meeting space, and to house technical systems, archives, library, and storage space. The Museum is on Main Street in downtown Scottsville. It displays permanent and rotating exhibits relating to the town and its history. It is open to the public on weekends from April to October, and by appointment at other times. Should a prospective intern be interested in visiting the Museum, a private tour can be arranged by contacting Connie Geary at smuseum@avenue.org.
 
UVA Blandy Experimental Farm - POSITION FILLED
Boyce, VA
One internship available
Historical archive creation
Terms: We are seeking an upper-level undergraduate or graduate student with a strong background in American history. A background in African American history is a plus. The intern will carry out research to help document the history of the peoples who were enslaved prior to the end of the Civil War on the land that is now home to University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm. The intern will be supervised by Dr. Kyle Haynes, Associate Director of Blandy Experimental Farm. For an undergraduate, the position will pay $10 per hour for 300 hours over the summer (roughly $3,000). For a graduate student, the position will pay $15 per hour for 300 hours over the summer (roughly $4,500). Free housing will be available at Blandy throughout the summer.
Goals: The goal is to locate, digitize, systematically store, and provide a written summary of available documentary materials that will serve as a foundation for a comprehensive historical analysis of the history of enslaved peoples at the site. Of particular interest are details about the enslaved peoples – their names, family histories, their numbers, and the types of duties they were forced to carry out. The intern will access sources of historical documents including those held by historical societies, county governments, and possibly documents prepared by the plantation owners.
Outcome: The outcome of this project will be a catalogued and accessible digital repository, along with a written summary of the contents of the repository, that will help tell the story of the peoples who were enslaved at the site. The intern will gain valuable experience in historical research, digital historical preservation, and writing.
About Blandy Experimental Farm: In the early 1800s, the Tuley family established a plantation known as “The Tuleyries” and profited from the forced labor of Black enslaved peoples until the Civil War. In 1903, Graham Blandy, who made his fortune as a stockbroker in New York, purchased the Tuleyries property. In 1926, upon the death of Graham Blandy, 700 acres of Blandy’s property was bequeathed to UVA and was named “Blandy Experimental Farm”. Today, Blandy Experimental Farm is a vital field station for UVA, with two primary missions – environmental research and environmental education.
 
Charlottesville, VA
Two internships available
I. Rare Book Shelf Reading - POSITION FILLED
Terms: The Special Collections department of the UVA Law Library seeks a graduate student or advanced undergraduate student to conduct a shelf reading/inventory of our rare book collection, which includes about 12,000 items from the 15th to 19th centuries. Working with our Special Collections teams, the intern will systematically review a portion of this collection to make sure that all of the books that should be there are present. Using protocols established by projects such as Book Traces @ UVA, this process will capture information particular to each copy, such as signatures, gift information, unique markings, or other artifactual features. The intern will also assist in research to determine if some of our rare book copies were once part of UVA’s original Rotunda library, which new evidence suggests is likely. As a contributor to the Law Library’s 1828 Catalogue Project in this research, the intern will review books in our rare collection for known Rotunda markings. Previous experience with rare books or related bibliographic classwork preferred. Along the way, the intern will have time and encouragement to post about work and findings on the Law Library blog or social media platforms. The intern must have strong research and organizational skills and enjoy working in a collaborative environment. This internship can be adapted if a fully remote situation is required. This internship pays $15/hr for roughly 300 hours of work. 
Goals:  In collaboration with the Law Library’s Special Collections team, the intern will assist with all aspects of the rare book shelf reading and Rotunda library research. These responsibilities will include systematically reviewing individual rare book copies for unique and/or Rotunda markings, as well as checking them against the library catalog to identify missing, misplaced, or miscataloged materials. Other responsibilities could include conducting research on specific rare book titles, building collaborative relationships with other UVA bibliographic programs on Grounds, and producing a short blog post or research report on summer work that will appear on the Law Library’s blog or 1828 Catalogue project website.
Outcome: The internship will offer professional development in rare book research and cataloging, historical research and writing, and team-based project work in an institutional and academic archive.
About Law Special Collections: The UVA School of Law was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is the second-oldest continuously running law school in the United States. Law Special Collections is the institutional repository for the UVA School of Law and preserves and provides access to a diverse archive of legal history materials. Our collections include rare books, manuscripts, archival records and publications, faculty writing, and photographs. An important part of our mission is preserving, researching, and making accessible the history of the UVA School of Law.
 
II. Landscape history of North Grounds - POSITION FILLED
Terms: The Special Collections department of the UVA Law Library seeks a graduate student or advanced undergraduate student to research and create a web-based historical walking tour of the Law School’s current site on North Grounds. This work will contribute to Law Special Collections’ ongoing project to investigate the Law School’s historical connections to slavery. The Law School’s North Grounds site was once owned by the Duke family and known as Sunnyside. The University still owns the land with the extant Duke house, and the Rivanna trail passes through this now wooded area. Topics for research include the lives and labors of the many enslaved people who lived at this site, historical uses of this land, the Albemarle County poor house, for which stone foundations still remain on the site, and the Cool Springs Barbecue Club, which held its barbecues on this site after the Civil War. The intern must have strong research and organizational skills and enjoy working in a collaborative environment. This internship can be adapted if a fully remote situation is required. This internship pays $15/hr. for roughly 300 hours of work. 
Goals:  Alongside the Law Library’s Special Collections team, the intern will assist with all aspects of this landscape history and web project. These responsibilities could include conducting primary and secondary research on the North Grounds landscape at the UVA Law Library and other UVA repositories, in accordance with health and safety guidelines; working with GIS software and data to map the site and begin to build a website devoted to this history; and writing up research findings in a report or as web content.
Outcome: The final product of this internship will be the creation of a digital interface such as a website or mobile app that would provide a walking tour of this historical landscape. The internship will offer professional development in historical research, web or app design and creation, public history, and team-based project work in an institutional and academic archive.
About Law Special Collections: The UVA School of Law was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is the second-oldest continuously running law school in the United States. Law Special Collections is the institutional repository for the UVA School of Law and preserves and provides access to a diverse archive of legal history materials. Our collections include rare books, manuscripts, archival records and publications, faculty writing, and photographs. An important part of our mission is preserving, researching, and making accessible the history of the UVA School of Law.
 
Charlottesville, Virginia
Seven internships in Charlottesville, Richmond, Manassas, Mt. Vernon, and Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is seeking an undergraduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks). Internships start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship is generously funded by the Carl Sewell family.
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center and could include research, engagement with visitors to the Park, and preparation of historical papers, and work for the NPS websites.  The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship. The summer internship includes housing at the Park.
About the National Military Park: The National Park Service unit headquartered in Fredericksburg encompasses four major Civil War battlefields, cemeteries containing soldiers from the United States and the Confederacy, monuments from the commemorative era, and historic structures dating from the 18th through the 19th century. The site interprets a wide range of events, including the battles of Fredericksburg (1862) Chancellorsville (1863), the Wilderness (1864), and Spotsylvania (1864); the experience of black and white refugees; the trauma of civilians caught in the path of war; and postwar activities that recalled and interpreted the conflict.
 
Internship #2: Nau Civil War Center Digital Research - POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Terms: Undergraduate student with background in American history. The intern will work directly under the Nau Center's digital historian assisting in efforts to gather data and information as part of the Center's various digital projects. Interns will primarily work on a digital database related to Dr. Caroline Janney’s new study of paroled Confederate soldiers in the wake of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865. Additional work may include studying black Civil War soldiers from Albemarle County and UVA students who fought for the Union. Intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer (30 hrs a week for 10 weeks). This internship is generously funded by the Lockhart family.
Goals: Primary responsibilities include data entry, research in digital databases and at UVA's Special Collections Library, writing essays about the Civil War and the 19th century, and other tasks to be determined in conjunction with Dr. William Kurtz, the Nau Center’s digital historian.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above. At the end of the summer, the intern will have an understanding of the technical processes involved in the digital humanities and have practical experience in researching the American Civil War. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship.
Background: Dr. Caroline Janney’s study of demobilization of the Confederate army in Virginia began at Purdue University. Her extensive database of thousands of Confederate parolees now resides at UVA and is being readied for digital publication. Our studies of "UVA Unionists" and "Black Virginians in Blue" began in 2015 as a way to tell another side of our local community's Civil War story, which in the past often has been dominated by the Confederate "Lost Cause" narrative. Very little is known about what black men from central Virginia did during the conflict and we hope to uncover a larger story tracing their lives from the antebellum period, to the war, to Reconstruction and the end of the century. Similarly, UVA students who fought for the Union were left out of the university's Civil War story.
 
Internship #3: Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (ACHS) and Cvillepedia.org - - POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Terms: Undergraduate student with strong research and writing skills, with a background in American history and familiarity with the local history of Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville a plus. The intern will work directly under the ACHS’s Executive Director and Programs & Volunteers Coordinator and work closely with the ACHS’s Research Librarian. The intern will research and write articles and pages to be published on the cvillpedia.org wiki, focused on local history during the Civil War and the 19th century. Workspace will be provided in our Downtown Charlottesville office, but the intern will have the ability to work remotely if needed. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer (30 hrs a week for 10 weeks).
Goals: Primary responsibilities include research in ACHS’s library, other local libraries as needed, and online digital databases, and writing articles for cvillepedia.org about local history during the Civil War and the 19th century. The intern will work with ACHS staff to assess relevant archival resources held in the Society’s collections that may be digitized and made accessible online. The intern may be asked to staff the Society’s library periodically and assist library patrons with their research. At the end of the summer, the intern will present on their work in an online program.
Outcome: ACHS staff and the intern will work together to determine specific historical subjects, topics, events, people, etc. that the intern will create articles and pages for cvillepedia.org. At the end of the summer, the intern will have added a significant number of pages and articles to the site, and understand the processes involved with researching and writing for a local history wiki. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship.
Background: The ACHS has served the local community for over 80 years. The role of the Society throughout this time has been to collect, preserve, and interpret local history. We envision a new role for local historical societies in the twenty-first century, embracing technology and digital archives to expand accessibility to historical information. Cvillepedia was created by Charlottesville Tomorrow in 2009 and has grown to be a source for community knowledge and history of the people, places, and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The ACHS, in partnership with Charlottesville Tomorrow and the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, is initiating a comprehensive strategic plan for Cvillepedia’s future—to facilitate improvement and expansion through community partnerships, to ensure the site is an equitably accessible archive for local history, and to envision the platform as a community-driven historical resource for and by local citizens that benefits the whole community. The scope of information currently found within Cvillepedia is heavily weighted towards more modern history and current events. The ACHS proposes to use Cvillepedia as a platform to provide access to the historical records and materials found in our collections, and elsewhere, and cultivating local community users to create this information.
 
Internship #4: Daughters of Zion Cemetery - POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Research in historical records
Terms: The intern will conduct research on the cemetery’s early decades (1873-1900), in particular on the people buried in the cemetery who were born before or during the Civil War. Another focus will be the histories of the founders of the cemetery. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: The cemetery, a unique form of built landscape, offers a rich and largely unexplored site for documenting and interpreting the history of enslaved and free blacks in Charlottesville both before and after Emancipation. Founded during Reconstruction by the Daughters of Zion Society, a sororal organization, the private cemetery provided a dignified alternative to the segregated Oakwood Cemetery across the street; as such, it offers a unique framework for interpreting the history of the antebellum African Americans who founded self-help organizations and promoted African-American commerce, education, and entrepreneurship during Reconstruction. It also provides material for closer analysis of sororal African-American organizations, which have not received as much attention as their fraternal counterparts.
Outcomes: The intern will work closely with a UVA faculty member, as well as the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, to develop specific outcomes for the internship, which may include written research reports. The chief outcome will be new, primary research that amplifies the Civil War and Reconstruction history of the cemetery, and by extension, Charlottesville. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship.
About Daughters of Zion Cemetery: The cemetery was founded in 1873 by a group of African-American women who wanted to provide private burial services and a cemetery for black Charlottesvillians. The Daughters of Zion Society also owned a community center, called Zion Hall, which housed many local civic and religious groups and events. After decades of neglect, another group of committed local women, the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, formed in 2015 to restore the cemetery. Their approach to restoration, which includes restoring its public memory as well as its physical beauty, constitutes a new paradigm for presenting the public history of African-American spaces.
 
Internship #5: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park - POSITION FILLED
Appomattox, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is seeking an undergraduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks). Internships start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor.
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center to assist the park’s Curator and Historian.  In the curatorial realm the intern will assist the museum technician and the museum curator with routine housekeeping, and environmental monitoring in historic houses, exhibit spaces, and collection storage areas. The intern will also assist museum staff with conducting the mandatory Annual Inventory of Museum Property and help correct deficiencies in locations and documentation. The intern will learn to safely handle museum objects while unpacking and packing museum objects for storage, exhibits, or loans, as well as work on cataloging artifacts for the Park’s collection.  For the Park Historian the intern will research and begin compiling a master list of Appomattox Campaign casualties.  This will also include up updating the Appomattox Court House casualty list.  Some transcription work of letters and diaries may also occur. The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship. The summer internship includes housing at the Park. 
About the National Military Park: The National Park Service unit at Appomattox Court House encompasses 1,700 acres, including the historic village and two Civil War battlefields, numerous cemeteries—military and civilian, several monuments from the commemorative era, and historic structures dating from to the 19th century. The site interprets a wide range of events, including the Appomattox Campaign; the battles of Appomattox Station and Appomattox Court House; the African American and white civilian experience; the surrender and the events/results stemming from the surrender on April 9, 1865.
 
Internship #6 Manassas National Battlefield Park  - POSITION FILLED
Manassas, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, the Manassas National Battlefield Park is seeking an undergraduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. Internship start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks).
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center and may include historical research, frontline interpretation, content development for the park website and social media sites, and curatorial assistance with routine museum housekeeping.  The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship. The summer internship includes housing at the Park.
About the National Battlefield Park: Manassas National Battlefield Park comprises approximately 5,000 acres and preserves the site of two major battles of the American Civil War – the First and Second Battles of Manassas (Bull Run).  Among the park’s historic features are multiple 19th century structures, military and civilian cemeteries, and commemorative monuments.  Areas of interpretive emphasis include: the military events surrounding the First and Second Battles of Manassas (1861 & 1862); how the two battles reflect the transformation of the Civil War in purpose, scale, and method; the experience of civilians, both free and enslaved; and the memorialization of the battlefield landscape.
 
Mount Vernon, VA (This internship offers remote work.)
Terms: Undergraduate student with background in American history. The intern will work directly under the Washington Library’s Center for Digital History (CDH) to advance the Library’s digital research initiatives and broaden public access to the Library’s American Civil War-era collections. The intern will primarily work on two projects. First, the intern will investigate George Washington commemorations installed in public spaces between 1850 and 1870 and incorporate them into a digital database designed to promote research and learning about the historical memory of George Washington. Second, the intern will transcribe Civil War-era letters and documents related to the Washington Family and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association held in the Library’s manuscript collections, and perform some light annotation. The selected intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. This internship pays $10 an hour--roughly $3,000 for the summer (30 hrs a week for 10 weeks).
Goals: Primary responsibilities include research and data entry in the George Washington Commemorations Project digital database, transcribing Civil War-era letters and documents, light writing assignments, and other tasks to be determined in conjunction with Dr. James P. Ambuske of the Center for Digital History.
Outcome: By the end of the summer, the intern will have a firm foundation in the digital humanities, digital historic preservation, and Mount Vernon in the era of the American Civil War.  The intern will be required to write a 2-page summary of their summer activities at the end of the internship.
Background: The Center for Digital History is the Washington Library's home for digital research, scholarship, and public history. In collaboration with partners at Mount Vernon and beyond, the CDH seeks to expand knowledge about George Washington, Mount Vernon, and America history through digital projects that inform new scholarly research initiatives and teaching opportunities. The Washington Library, a 45,000 square-foot facility, holds Washington’s books and manuscripts, and many additional 18th-century books, as well as thousands of important 19th-century newspapers, manuscripts, and documents. It also serves as a scholarly retreat, creates educational outreach programs, and provides seminars and training programs with a special focus on Washington’s leadership.
 
Charlottesville, Va.
Four internships available for undergraduates and graduate students
Research assistants
Terms: Advanced undergraduates or graduate students with background in American history, History or American Studies major preferred. The intern will work with the President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation on the history of the University of Virginia, 1865-1965. This will involve archival research, document photographing, and professional transcription/editing of historical documents. Intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. These internships pay $10 an hour for undergrads and $15/hr for graduate students.
Goals: Primary responsibilities include archival research, document photographing, and professional documentary transcription (we will train first), proofreading, and writing of descriptive primary document-based essays as part of the university’s public confronting of its own difficult past.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above. At the end of the summer, the intern will have a detailed understanding of both the technical processes involved in archival research, public history, and the post-1865 history of the University of Virginia.
About the Age of Segregation Commission: The President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation will explore and report on UVA’s historical relationship with the era of segregation, especially as it connects to the Charlottesville/Albemarle community. It is co-directed by Andrea Douglas, Executive Director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, and Kirt von Daacke, Professor (History) and Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences.
 
Virginia Humanities - ALL POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesvile, Va.
Two internships available
Research assistants
Up to three research assistants needed for a summer-long, hybrid public history workshop for a small group of slavery descendants, in partnership with their respective ancestral sites. Seeking undergraduates with archival research and digital humanities skills, and foundation in history of American slavery who are comfortable doing archival and government records research.. These internships pay $10 an hour for undergrads and $15/hr for grad students. 
Added 4.2.21; more details to follow. 
 
Richmond, Va.
Two internships available
Internship #1: Archival processing assistant, corporate records POSITION CANCELLED
Terms: Graduate student interested in business history or museum administration. Accuracy and attention to detail required. Legible handwriting is required. This internship pays $15 an hour—roughly $4,500 for the summer. Flexible schedule within the Institution’s 9-5 M-F open hours. Intern must provide own housing.
Goals: Duties will include helping to organize and process the records of a Virginia museum founded in the 1820s. Intern will help inventory, organize and rehouse materials, and update existing indices and finding aids to improve access to the archive and thus highlight its research potential. This internship pays $15/hr for up to 300 hours.
 Outcome: Under the supervision of archival team members, the intern will be part of a major effort to provide better access to and preserve the archives of the Virginia Historical Society. Materials include architectural plans, correspondence, curatorial and exhibition files, facility reports, marketing and fund-raising materials, minutes, publications, etc.
About the VMHC: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture (formerly the Virginia Historical Society) maintains a strong commitment to educational outreach, exhibitions, and other programming, but is perhaps best known for its research library and collections. Those collections include manuscripts (personal and family papers, business and organizational records), printed materials and rare books, and museum artifacts. Among those important holdings are the records of the VMHC itself, documenting the efforts of the founders’ to preserve the records of the Revolutionary period, the institution’s survival through the Civil War, its search for a permanent home, the development of the museum collection and related programming, and the challenges it faces as it navigates the 21st century.
 
Internship #2: Manuscripts processing, Civil War archives POSITION CANCELLED
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student with a strong history background; familiarity with Virginia Civil War and social history a plus. Accuracy and attention to detail required. This internship is funded by the Nau Center for Civil War History at UVA (and is the same internship as the one advertised above with the other Nau-sponsored internships). This internship pays $10 an hour--roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: Duties will include sorting, arranging, analyzing, re-housing, and describing Civil War-era papers.
Outcome: Under the supervision of archival team members, the intern will be part of a major effort to process a significant group of Civil War-era manuscripts, with the goal of producing finding aids that will guide researchers to the materials.
Background: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture (formerly Virginia Historical Society) maintains a strong commitment to educational outreach, exhibitions, and other programming, but is perhaps best known for its research library and collections. Those collections include manuscripts (personal and family papers, business and organizational records), printed materials and rare books, and museum artifacts. A commitment to preservation of and access to its richest resources has led to an initiative to process these materials.
 
 

Summer 2020 Internships

Danville Museum of Fine Art and History, History-Video Project   ******POSITION FILLED******
Danville, Virginia
One internship available
Archival research, digital formatting, collection and content management
Terms: The museum seeks a well-organized undergraduate or graduate student (May graduate also fine) who is interested in revealing unrepresented African American histories in Danville, Virginia, and in particular how those histories relate to the Sutherlin Mansion, a house museum that holds a Civil Rights exhibition and a Civil War exhibition. The museum will be working with local historian Gary Grant and national historians Dr. Grace Hale and Dr. Fitzhugh Brundage to reconstruct the content of the museum’s controversial visitor information video, which omits vital histories. Strong writing skills essential. A familiarity with digital collection management tools, especially Past Perfect, is a plus, but training can also be provided. This internship pays $10 an hour (for 300 office hours) —roughly $3,000 for the summer. Food and lodging subsidies available for students commuting to Danville (overnight stays in the research center’s residency quarters [House 126], plus a meal stipend to Crema &Vine, a coffee shop across the street from the museum).
Goals: Add African American narratives from the Civil War era and Civil Rights movement to the history of the Sutherlin Mansion by updating the visitor information video to include, for example, a 1960 sit-in by black students demanding the end of segregation at the public library, which was was housed in the mansion at the time. Intern will assist historians researching the new content and will help produce the reformatted video.
Outcome: The intern will begin the process of identifying, recording and transcribing the content provided by historians. This will be a process of synopsizing, and organizing the content and providing colligated information to all parties on the team. At the end of the internship the student will write a 4- to 5-page overview of how the content was academically and locally supported and how it might be of use to other small house museums. As time permits, they will also be involved in discussions about a long-term data management strategy for papers related to the integrating of omitted histories for future reference by small house museums.
About the DMFAH History-Video Project: Produced in partnership with the Center for Community Engagement & Career Competitiveness (CCECC) and History United, a community coalition, the museum’s Visitor Service Video Project unites the work of community and national historians, archaeologists, and preservationists to reconstruct omitted histories at the the Sutherlin Mansion.
 
Encyclopedia Virginia    ******POSITION FILLED******
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available
Editorial assistant
Terms: Encyclopedia Virginia (EV) is an authoritative and user-friendly resource on the history and culture of Virginia. We are seeking a graduate student with a background in public history or American Studies to assist our editorial team in our mission of telling the inclusive story of Virginia. In addition to helping prepare edited entries for publication, the intern will assist the EV editorial team in developing a framework and protocol for evaluating previously published entries to ensure that they reflect the best and most current scholarship and language. They will then take the lead in auditing published entries, with a focus on our entries on colonial and Virginia Indian history, and recommending improvements. The intern should demonstrate an interest in digital publishing, strong analytic and writing skills, and the ability to work independently. This internship pays $16 an hour; roughly $4,800 for the entire summer (300 hours).
Goals: This intern will help develop a framework and protocol for evaluating and improving published content, audit existing entries on colonial and Virginia Indian history and make recommendations, and assist with publishing entries by writing summary paragraphs, creating timelines, and using the content management system.
Outcome: The intern will become familiar with editorial practices at a leading digital humanities publication, gain experience editing and publishing historical writing for a general audience, and insight into project management.
About Encyclopedia Virginia (EV): Published by Virginia Humanities, Encyclopedia Virginia (EV) is a free, reliable multimedia resource that tells the inclusive story of Virginia for students, teachers, and communities that seek to understand how the past informs the present and future.
 
Gibbes Museum of Art  ******POSITION CANCELLED******
Charleston, South Carolina
One internship available
Collections management and curatorial research
Terms: An undergraduate or graduate student with a particular interest in American art history. Background in art history, American studies, Historic Preservation or museum studies is required. Intern must provide own housing. This internship pays $7.25/hr, roughly $2,050 for the summer.  
Goals: An internship at the Gibbes Museum of Art in summer 2020 will provide a collections-focused experience while also exposing the intern to other Museum departments providing insight into institution-wide project management.  This summer the Gibbes will begin its fourth year of being open after a  major renovation and expansion (completed in 2016). We have settled into our building and are actively creating unique experiences for visitors and patrons in our expanded gallery spaces, artist studios and classrooms and state-of-the art Collections Storage Center. The UVA intern will work with Curatorial and Collections Department staff (Director of Collections, Director of Curatorial Affairs, Assistant Curator and Preparator) on a variety of projects related to collection and exhibition planning and management.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific curatorial and collection tasks which may include: assisting with annual collection inventory, cataloging new acquisitions, preparing works for outgoing loan, researching and writing label copy for upcoming exhibitions, and preparing brief reports with representative samples of work. At the end of the summer, the intern will have a broad understanding of curatorial and collection management procedures at an art museum.
About the Gibbes Museum: Opened in 1905 by the Carolina Art Association, the Gibbes Museum of Art represents a long and impressive tradition of cultural leadership in historic Charleston, providing residents and visitors with access to a distinguished collection and an active, schedule of exhibits, programs and events. The nationally significant collection of American paintings reflects Charleston's past and present and is a source of community pride. From portraits and landscapes of the Colonial South to the era of Porgy and Bess to significant works by contemporary artists such as Kara Walker and Jasper Johns, visitors come face-to-face with the history of Charleston and art in the south.  Of special importance at the Gibbes is the country's premiere collection of over 600 jewel-like miniature portraits. The Gibbes collection consists of approximately 8,000 objects ranging from paintings, prints and drawings, to photography, sculpture and archival materials.
 
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Va.
Several internships available 
Digital history, website development, archival research
Terms: Advanced undergraduate or graduate student with background in American history. The intern will work with the Jefferson's University: The Early Life project team on creating and expanding a UVA Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH)-sponsored digital humanities archive and website on the early history of the University of Virginia. This will involve professional transcription/editing of historical documents and XML keying of already digitized and transcribed documents. Intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: Primary responsibilities include professional documentary transcription (we will train first), proofreading, XML mark-up of digitized and transcribed documents, and writing of descriptive primary document-based essays.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above. At the end of the summer, the intern will have a detailed understanding of both the technical processes involved in the digital humanities and the early history of the University of Virginia. 
About JUEL: The "Jefferson's University--Early Life Project, 1819-1870" (JUEL) was cofounded by Kirt von Daacke, Associate Professor of History and Assistant Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; and Maurie McInnis, former Professor of Art History and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at UVa and now Provost of the University of Texas-Austin. JUEL is funded by The Jefferson Trust, an Initiative of the University of Virginia Alumni Association, and the University of Virginia. It is housed within the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH).
Library of Virginia    ******POSITION CANCELLED******
Richmond, Va.
One internship available
Online resource guide
Terms: The Library of Virginia seeks a graduate student intern to help create an online resource guide to Asian Pacific Islander resources at the Library. Intern must provide own transportation to and housing in Richmond. This internship pays $15/hr for graduate students, or roughly $4,500 for 300 hours of work.
Goals: Using WordPress and/or Omeka, an online content management system, the intern will develop an online guide to Library resources related to Asian Pacific Islander communities and heritage in Virginia. The guide will live on the edu.lva.virginia.gov website. This new resource is part of an ongoing Library initiative to strengthen relationships with immigrant and refugee communities who increasingly represent a diversified Virginia.
Outcome: The online guide to Asian Pacific Islander resources is part of a larger project that will also include a series of programs and pop-up exhibitions to meet Initiative #1 of the LVA's 2019-2023 Strategic Plan to "reimagine a collecting model that is cooperative and proactive, builds relationship that bring value, helps build capacity where possible, and reflects those who are shaping 21st century Virginia."
Background: The Library of Virginia is one of the oldest agencies of Virginia government, founded in 1823 to preserve and provide access to the state's incomparable printed and manuscript holdings. Our collection, which has grown steadily through the years, is the most comprehensive resource in the world for the study of Virginia history, culture, and government.
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/about/
 
 
James Monroe’s Highland     *****POSITION CANCELLED******
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available
Public archaeology internship
Terms: We seek an advanced undergraduate student who has completed archaeological coursework and preferably field experience, though the intern is not expected to lead excavations this summer. The student should enjoy engaging with visitors of all ages and backgrounds, and should possess a demonstrated ability to convey nuanced information to the public. This internship pays $10/hr for 300 hours over the summer—roughly $3,000.
Goals and outcomes: This public archaeology internship will focus on interpretation of the Monroes’ 1799 main house, whose archaeological remains were recently identified. The intern will conduct public interface surrounding archaeology, archaeological discoveries at Highland, and the public tour experience. The exact range of duties for the internship will depend on the receipt of external funding for a summer archaeological field season at Highland. With an active field project, the intern will be a key liaison with the public on site during excavation. Without funding for an excavation season, the intern will utilize existing archaeological data to create and present programs for the public.
About James Monroe’s Highland: Highland is a historic site in Albemarle County, Virginia, and is a division of William & Mary. Highland’s public interpretation was revolutionized in 2016 with the announcement of the results of a recent multi-disciplinary research campaign, which discovered the lost and forgotten main house and correctly identified the presidential guesthouse built in 1818. The newly discovered remains reveal a sizeable, freestanding house as the Monroes’ main residence. Part of a large chimney base, several sections of stone-wall foundations, and segments of thicker walls belonging to a stone cellar have been uncovered and point to a house fire that likely destroyed the house as early as c.1830.
 
Monticello     ******POSITION FILLED******
Charlottesville, Va.
One internship available
Public Archaeology Intern
Terms: The Department of Archaeology at Monticello seeks an advanced undergraduate or graduate student with experience or interest in archaeology, 18th- and 19th-century American history, and public outreach. The intern will work with the archaeology staff to oversee, organize, and create archaeology programs for the public related to recent and ongoing archaeological excavations at Monticello. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: Primary responsibilities will include serving as the department liaison for all summer archaeology programs; leading the archaeology day of Monticello’s summer camp; assisting with plantation walking tours, Let’s Go Dig Family Workshop, and Archaeology Teacher’s Workshop; and provide material for social media related to aforementioned programs. In addition, the intern will work with the project team to develop a new public archaeology program tailored to the applicant’s interest and background. New programs could include the development of an educational unit for K-12 teachers, a new artifact display for outreach days, or a new public tour.
Outcome: The internship will offer the undergraduate or graduate student professional development opportunities in archaeology, American history, outreach, and team-based program management.
About Monticello: Monticello Plantation was home to Thomas Jefferson, his family, and hundreds of enslaved African Americans and their families from 1770 until Jefferson’s death in 1826. Monticello’s multidisciplinary educational initiatives are conducted through the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies (ICJS). As part of the ICJS, the Department of Archaeology is dedicated to studying and preserving Monticello's archaeological record and deciphering its meaning through comparative research. The Department’s primary research focus is the social, economic, and ecological dynamics of the 5000-acre plantation, occupied by Jefferson and his family, and to scores of free workmen and hundreds of enslaved African-Americans and their families, whose skills and labor powered Jefferson’s agricultural and industrial enterprises. The Department is home to the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery, an Internet-based initiative designed to foster collaborative research and data sharing among archaeologists. It also houses extensive artifact collections from past and ongoing archaeological fieldwork at Monticello and offers numerous public programs and workshops about current excavations and archaeological methodology.
 
One Shared Story   ******POSITION FILLED******
Charlottesville and Louisa County, Va.
One internship available
Archival research and digitization
Terms: Advanced undergraduate with interest in doing hands-on research in historic documents. Background in American history a plus. Applicants should have an interest in digital humanities and GIS and a desire to work with local communities to provide support for preserving, protecting and promoting their stories. Intern must provide own transportation to/from Louisa County. This internship pays $10/hr for 300 hours over the summer—roughly $3,000. 
Goals and Outcomes: One Shared Story works in Central Virginia to uncover documents of hidden history and make them publicly accessible. We will be scanning fragile historic documents in local collections (Louisa, Fluvanna, Orange) and loading these documents to our online digital archive. The selected candidate will be using scanners, organizing files, creating metadata, and working with community volunteers to develop data from the documents. Data development will include local volunteer transcriptions of documents and use of the ArcGIS platform to add spatial information where available. ESRI's configurable Story Maps will be used to curate archive items and/or data.
About One Shared Story: Our mission is to expand what we know about the past so we can better understand the present and work together to create compassionate inclusive communities for the future. To that end, we combine archival and genealogical research with digital mapping technologies to create publicly accessible databases devoted to African American history in Central Virginia. So far our work has concentrated on Louisa County and Buckingham County. Upcoming projects include using ArcGIS technology to map Emancipation-era cemeteries in Buckingham County, and researching public records related to slavery and Reconstruction in Louisa County.
 
Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation   ******POSITION CANCELLED******
Scottsville, Virginia
Museum database project  
Terms: Seeking an advanced undergraduate student with an interest in history as revealed by artifacts, who has computer skills and a passion for organization. Personal transportation is required, as part of the project involves work at the Scottsville Museum (there is a budgeted stipend for mileage). There will also be some research which may be done via home computer and scanning which can be done at the University of Virginia’s art library under the supervision of one of our Board Members. This internship pays $10/hr for 300 hours over the summer—roughly $3,000. 
Goals: As a small-town museum with a limited budget, the Scottsville Museum is run by volunteers. We have a disparate collection of artifacts, all received as gifts, and it can be a challenge to marshall them into a coherent exhibition. The last big push to sort out what we have was ten years ago, when we acquired the software, Past Perfect, and began to compile a digital record of our collection. This project lapsed when its instigators left the area, and now we need to update our database, including items received since that time, and to think about where these objects play a role in telling our town’s story. We also need to deepen our historical research on certain artifacts, update some items never properly catalogued, and update the storage of  existing and new collection items.
Outcome: With the guidance of three of the members of the Museum Board, the intern will be trained in the use of Past Perfect and undertake the project of adding part of the collection to the database. He or she will also undertake some research to illuminate the significance of some objects, which will form the basis for a small exhibition at the Museum, ideally opening in the fall. In addition, the intern will write a four- to five-page report reviewing the summer’s work and give a brief report to the Scottsville Museum Board of Directors at its August 2019 meeting.
About the Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation: We are a nonprofit, incorporated organization which seeks to preserve for the public benefit the historical, natural, and artistic heritage of the Scottsville community of southern Albemarle County. It is housed in a former Disciples of Christ Church, built in 1846, and its adjacent parsonage, the Barclay House. The latter building has been renovated to create research and meeting space, and to house technical systems, archives, library, and storage space. The Museum is on Main Street in downtown Scottsville. It displays permanent and rotating exhibits relating to the town and its history. It is open to the public on weekends from April to October, and by appointment at other times. Should a prospective intern be interested in visiting the Museum, a private tour can be arranged by contacting Connie Geary at smuseum@avenue.org.
 
UVA Law Library: Special Collections and Archives   ******BOTH POSITIONS FILLED******
Charlottesville, VA
Two internships available
Internship #1: Law School oral history program   ******POSITION FILLED******
Terms: The Special Collections department of the UVA Law Library seeks a graduate student or advanced undergraduate student to help re-launch the Law School’s oral history program. Within the program’s broader goal of preserving the Law School’s institutional history, this internship will focus on interviews with women faculty, staff, and alumnae to expand the perspectives included in our archive and to coincide with the 2020 centennial of coeducation at the Law School. Previous experience with an oral history projects or related classwork preferred. The intern must have strong research and organizational skills and enjoy working in a collaborative environment. This internship pays $12.50/hr for undergraduates and $15/hr for graduate students.
Goals:  Alongside the Law Library’s Special Collections Librarian, the intern will assist with all aspects of the oral history program. These responsibilities could include formulating program policies, identifying people for interviews, conducting background research, drafting interview questions, overseeing the digitization of previous law school oral histories from the 1980s, and building collaborative relationships with other UVA oral history programs on Grounds.
Outcome: The internship will offer professional development in oral history work, historical research, digital preservation of video and audio materials, and team-based project work in an institutional and academic archive.
About Law Special Collections: The UVA School of Law was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is the second-oldest continuously running law school in the United States. Law Special Collections is the institutional repository for the UVA School of Law and preserves and provides access to a diverse archive of legal history materials. Our collections include rare books, manuscripts, archival records and publications, faculty writing, and photographs. An important part of our mission is preserving, researching, and making accessible the history of the UVA School of Law.
 
Internship #2: Digital Historical Collections   ******POSITION FILLED******
Terms: The Special Collections and Archives department of the Arthur J. Morris Law Library seeks an advanced undergraduate student or graduate student intern with experience or interest in modern American history, librarianship, and the creation of digital archives. The intern will work closely with the Digital Collections Librarian, Special Collections Librarian, and the Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Humanities on a digital archives-based initiative. The intern will select their primary focus from among a list of available projects based on the candidate’s previous technical ability, her/his educational interests, and the law library’s institutional priorities. Possible initiatives include: the History of Slavery and the Law at UVA, Charlottesville Statues Legal History Research Guide, the Scottish Court of Session Digital Archive, 1970s & 1980s Federal Marijuana Policy, 1828 Catalogue, the history of the Legal Curriculum at UVA, and the Diaries of William Minor Lile, among others. The intern must have strong research and organizational skills and enjoy working in a collaborative environment. This internship pays $12.50/hr for undergraduates and $15/hr for graduate students.
Goals: The intern will work with the project team to develop the needs of her/his selected project and develop a project plan. This internship will likely involve project management, materials curation, digitization and preservation of rare materials, metadata development and creation, rich description and contextualization of historical materials, the creation of databases and websites derived from summer research.
Outcome: The internship will offer student professional development opportunities in the digital humanities, digital history, and team-based project development. The intern will write some short blog-post reflections on his/her work during the summer and make a public presentation to the Library community upon the completion of her/his tenure.  
Background: The Law Library is a leader in the creation of digital archival projects in the legal archival community. By digitizing and making these works easily available to the public, the project aims to create new research opportunities in the history of early American law and legal education. In addition, it seeks to build a model for other institutions interested in expanding the digital presence of their rare book collections.   
About Law Special Collections: The UVA School of Law was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is the second-oldest continuously running law school in the United States. Law Special Collections is the institutional repository for the UVA School of Law and preserves and provides access to a diverse archive of legal history materials. Our collections include rare books, manuscripts, archival records and publications, faculty writing, and photographs. An important part of our mission is preserving, researching, and making accessible the history of the UVA School of Law.
 
UVA Nau Center for Civil War History   ******ALL POSITIONS FILLED******
Charlottesville, Virginia
Five to six internships available in Charlottesville, Richmond, and Fredericksburg
Internship #1: Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park    ******POSITION FILLED******
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is seeking an undergraduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. Internship start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship, generously funded by the Carl Sewell family, pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks).
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center and could include research, engagement with visitors to the Park, and preparation of historical papers, and work for the NPS websites. The summer internship includes housing at the Park.
About the National Military Park: The National Park Service unit headquartered in Fredericksburg encompasses four major Civil War battlefields, cemeteries containing soldiers from the United States and the Confederacy, monuments from the commemorative era, and historic structures dating from the 18th through the 19th century. The site interprets a wide range of events, including the battles of Fredericksburg (1862) Chancellorsville (1863), the Wilderness (1864), and Spotsylvania (1864); the experience of black and white refugees; the trauma of civilians caught in the path of war; and postwar activities that recalled and interpreted the conflict.
 
Richmond, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, the Richmond National Battlefield Park and Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site is seeking an undergraduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. Internship start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor. This internship pays $10 an hour—$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks).
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the NPS units and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center and could include research, engagement with visitors, preparation of historical papers, and work for the NPS websites. The summer internship includes housing on Park Service land.
About the National Park Service sites: These two National Park Service units headquartered in Richmond administer several major Civil War battlefields from 1862 and 1864-65, the Chimborazo Medical Museum, prisoner-of-war installations, portions of the Tredegar industrial site, several national cemeteries, monuments from the commemorative era, historic structures from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Maggie L. Walker house. The two sites interpret military events and civilian life during the Civil War, the process of emancipation, race relations during Reconstruction and the late 19th century, and the development of commemorative traditions relating to the war.
 
Internship #3: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park   ******POSITION FILLED******
Appomattox, Virginia
Terms: In partnership with the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is seeking an undergraduate intern with a background in nineteenth-century American history to work at the national park. This internship pays $10 an hour--$4,800 for the summer (40 hrs a week for 12 weeks). Internships start and end dates will be determined by the NPS supervisor.
Goals: Duties will be determined by conversations between staff at the Park and at UVA's Nau Civil War Center to assist the park’s Curator and Historian.  In the curatorial realm the intern will assist the museum technician and the museum curator with routine housekeeping, integrated pest management (IPM) monitoring, and environmental monitoring in historic houses, exhibit spaces, and collection storage areas. The intern will also assist museum staff with conducting the mandatory Annual Inventory of Museum Property and help correct deficiencies in locations and documentation. The intern will learn to safely handle museum objects while unpacking and packing museum objects for storage, exhibits, or loans, as well as work on cataloging artifacts for the Park’s collection.  For the Park Historian the intern will research and begin compiling a master list of Appomattox Campaign casualties.  This will also include up updating the Appomattox Court House casualty list.  Some transcription work of letters and diaries may also occur. The summer internship includes housing at the Park.
About the National Military Park: The National Park Service unit at Appomattox Court House encompasses 1,700 acres, including the historic village and two Civil War battlefields, numerous cemeteries—military and civilian, several monuments from the commemorative era, and historic structures dating from to the 19th century. The site interprets a wide range of events, including the Appomattox Campaign; the battles of Appomattox Station and Appomattox Court House; the African American and white civilian experience; the surrender and the events/results stemming from the surrender on April 9, 1865.
 
Internship #4: Nau Civil War Center Digital Research    ******POSITION FILLED******
Charlottesville, Virginia
Digital history, archival research
Terms: Undergraduate student with background in American history. The intern will work directly under the Nau Center's digital historian assisting in efforts to gather data and information as part of the Center's various digital projects. Interns will primarily work on a digital database related to Dr. Caroline Janney’s new study of paroled Confederate soldiers in the wake of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865. Additional work may include studying black Civil War soldiers from Albemarle County and UVA students who fought for the Union. Intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. This internship, generously funded by the Lockhart family, pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer (30 hrs a week for 10 weeks).
Goals: Primary responsibilities include data entry, research in digital databases and at UVA's Special Collections Library, writing essays about the Civil War and the 19th century, and other tasks to be determined in conjunction with Dr. William Kurtz, the Nau Center’s digital historian.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above. At the end of the summer, the intern will have an understanding of the technical processes involved in the digital humanities and have practical experience in researching the American Civil War.
Background: Dr. Caroline Janney’s study of demobilization of the Confederate army in Virginia began at Purdue University. Her extensive database of thousands of Confederate parolees now resides at UVA and is being readied for digital publication. Our studies of "UVA Unionists" and "Black Virginians in Blue" began in 2015 as a way to tell another side of our local community's Civil War story, which in the past often has been dominated by the Confederate "Lost Cause" narrative. Very little is known about what black men from central Virginia did during the conflict and we hope to uncover a larger story tracing their lives from the antebellum period, to the war, to Reconstruction and the end of the century. Similarly, UVA students who fought for the Union were left out of the university's Civil War story.
 
Internship #5: Virginia Museum of History and Culture   ******POSITION FILLED******
Richmond, Virginia
Manuscripts processing, Civil War archives 
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student with a strong history background; familiarity with Virginia Civil War and social history a plus. Accuracy and attention to detail required. This internship pays $10 an hour--roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: Duties will include sorting, arranging, analyzing, re-housing, and describing Civil War-era papers.
Outcome: Under the supervision of archival team members, the intern will be part of a major effort to process a significant group of Civil War-era manuscripts, with the goal of producing finding aids that will guide researchers to the materials.
Background: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture (formerly Virginia Historical Society) maintains a strong commitment to educational outreach, exhibitions, and other programming, but is perhaps best known for its research library and collections. Those collections include manuscripts (personal and family papers, business and organizational records), printed materials and rare books, and museum artifacts. A commitment to preservation of and access to its richest resources has led to an initiative to process these materials.
 
Internship #6: Daughters of Zion Cemetery    ******POSITION FILLED******
Charlottesville, Virginia
Research in historical records, website design and maintenance
Terms: The intern will conduct research on the cemetery’s early decades (1873-1900), in particular on the people buried in the cemetery who were born before or during the Civil War. Another focus will be the histories of the founders of the cemetery. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: The cemetery, a unique form of built landscape, offers a rich and largely unexplored site for documenting and interpreting the history of enslaved and free blacks in Charlottesville both before and after Emancipation. Founded during Reconstruction by the Daughters of Zion Society, a sororal organization, the private cemetery provided a dignified alternative to the segregated Oakwood Cemetery across the street; as such, it offers a unique framework for interpreting the history of the antebellum African Americans who founded self-help organizations and promoted African-American commerce, education, and entrepreneurship during Reconstruction. It also provides material for closer analysis of sororal African-American organizations, which have not received as much attention as their fraternal counterparts.
Outcomes: The intern will work closely with a UVA faculty member, as well as the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, to develop specific outcomes for the internship, which may include a website and written research reports. The chief outcome will be new, primary research that amplifies the Civil War and Reconstruction history of the cemetery, and by extension, Charlottesville.
About Daughters of Zion Cemetery: The cemetery was founded in 1873 by a group of African-American women who wanted to provide private burial services and a cemetery for black Charlottesvillians. The Daughters of Zion Society also owned a community center, called Zion Hall, which housed many local civic and religious groups and events. After decades of neglect, another group of committed local women, the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, formed in 2015 to restore the cemetery. Their approach to restoration, which includes restoring its public memory as well as its physical beauty, constitutes a new paradigm for presenting the public history of African-American spaces.
 
Charlottesville, Va.
Four-five internships available for undergraduates and graduate students
Research assistants
Terms: Advanced undergraduates or graduate students with background in American history, History or American Studies major preferred. The intern will work with the President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation on the history of the University of Virginia, 1865-1965. This will involve archival research, document photographing, and professional transcription/editing of historical documents. Intern should demonstrate strong organizational and analytic skills, ability to work independently, and write clearly. These internships pay $10 an hour for undergrads and $15/hr for graduate students.
Goals: Primary responsibilities include archival research, document photographing, and professional documentary transcription (we will train first), proofreading, and writing of descriptive primary document-based essays as part of the university’s public confronting of its own difficult past.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above. At the end of the summer, the intern will have a detailed understanding of both the technical processes involved in archival research, public history, and the post-1865 history of the University of Virginia.
About the Age of Segregation Commission: The President’s Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation will explore and report on UVA’s historical relationship with the era of segregation, especially as it connects to the Charlottesville/Albemarle community. It is co-directed by Andrea Douglas, Executive Director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, and Kirt von Daacke, Professor (History) and Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences.
Oral histories inventory: segregation in Charlottesville
Terms: Graduate student with background in American history, History, or American Studies to research and produce a master list of oral histories related to the age of segregation that have been produced locally. This internship pays $15 an hour for a graduate student.
Goals: The intern will compile an inventory of oral histories conducted locally, but externally to UVA. Sources might include county historical societies, local libraries, and schools. The inventory will explore the availability of details such as names of interviewees, number interviewed, original formats (reel-to-reel, cassette, VHS, CD, DVD, print transcriptions), and location of originals.
Outcome: This inventory will facilitate ongoing decisions about conducting new oral histories related to the age of segregation, as well as decisions related to seeking permission to digitize, transcribe, or share existing oral histories.
 
 
Virginia Museum of History and Culture   ******BOTH POSITIONS FILLED******
Richmond, Va.
Two internships available
Internship #1: Archival processing assistant, corporate records   ******POSITION FILLED******
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student interested in business history or museum administration. Accuracy and attention to detail required. Legible handwriting is required. Flexible schedule within the Institution’s 9-5 M-F open hours. Intern must provide own housing. This internship pays $10 an hour—roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: Duties will include helping to organize and process the records of a Virginia museum founded in the 1820s. Intern will help inventory, organize and rehouse materials, and update existing indices and finding aids to improve access to the archive and thus highlight its research potential. This internship pays $15/hr for up to 300 hours.
 Outcome: Under the supervision of archival team members, the intern will be part of a major effort to provide better access to and preserve the archives of the Virginia Historical Society. Materials include architectural plans, correspondence, curatorial and exhibition files, facility reports, marketing and fund-raising materials, minutes, publications, etc.
About the VMHC: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture (formerly the Virginia Historical Society) maintains a strong commitment to educational outreach, exhibitions, and other programming, but is perhaps best known for its research library and collections. Those collections include manuscripts (personal and family papers, business and organizational records), printed materials and rare books, and museum artifacts. Among those important holdings are the records of the VMHC itself, documenting the efforts of the founders’ to preserve the records of the Revolutionary period, the institution’s survival through the Civil War, its search for a permanent home, the development of the museum collection and related programming, and the challenges it faces as it navigates the 21st century.
 
Internship #2: Manuscripts processing, Civil War archives   ******POSITION FILLED******
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student with a strong history background; familiarity with Virginia Civil War and social history a plus. Accuracy and attention to detail required. This internship is funded by the Nau Center for Civil War History at UVA. This internship pays $10 an hour--roughly $3,000 for the summer.
Goals: Duties will include sorting, arranging, analyzing, re-housing, and describing Civil War-era papers.
Outcome: Under the supervision of archival team members, the intern will be part of a major effort to process a significant group of Civil War-era manuscripts, with the goal of producing finding aids that will guide researchers to the materials.
Background: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture (formerly Virginia Historical Society) maintains a strong commitment to educational outreach, exhibitions, and other programming, but is perhaps best known for its research library and collections. Those collections include manuscripts (personal and family papers, business and organizational records), printed materials and rare books, and museum artifacts. A commitment to preservation of and access to its richest resources has led to an initiative to process these materials.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Summer 2019 Internships 

Congratulations to our summer 2019 interns: Evan Bell, Margaret Davis, Gwen Dilworth, Shivani Dimri, Zach Dolack, Sally Duncan, Aldona Dye, Charlie Flynn, Kajsa Foskey, Kristen Graves, Trevor Hazelwood, Sarah Holzgrefe, Lucy Hopkins, Adam Jacobs, Michael Marrow, Andy McMahon, Emily Mellen, John Modica, Addie Patrick, Adam Rayburn, Claire Schweiker, Meghan Shinton, Lily Snodgrass, Audrey Van Winkle, Liezl Vergara. 

Internships designated for undergraduates are paid between $7.25 and $10 an hour, and those specified for graduate students between $12.50 and $15 an hour for 300 hours of work between mid-May and mid-August; see internship listings for details. Graduates are eligible for all internships, but only those specified for graduate students pay at the higher level. Students who graduate in May 2019 are eligible for internships, and are paid as undergraduates.

For detailed descriptions of each internship, click on link below and scroll down to find internship listing.

Carr-Greer Family History Project POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available

Gibbes Museum of Art POSITION FILLED
Charleston, South Carolina
One internship available 

Jefferson's University - The Early Life Project, 1819-1870 ALL POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Four internships available 

Monticello Department of Archaeology POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available 

Monticello "Getting Word" oral history project POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available 

One Shared Story BOTH POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville and Louisa County, Virginia
Two internships available 

Prince William Ct Historic Preservation Division, oral history project POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available 

Take Back the Archive POSITION FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available 

UVA Law Library: Special Collections and Archives BOTH POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Two internships available 

UVA Nau Center for Civil War History ALL POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Six internships available  

UVA President's Commission on the Age of Segregation ALL POSITIONS FILLED
Charlottesville, Virginia
Four internships available  

Virginia Museum of History and Culture BOTH POSITIONS FILLED
Richmond, Virginia
Two internships available

Summer 2018 Internships

Undergraduates are paid between $7.25 and $10 an hour, and graduate students between $12.50 and $15 an hour for 300 hours of work between mid-May and mid-August; see internship listings for details. Students who graduate in May 2018 are eligible for internships, and are paid as undergraduates.

Cornerstone Institute/Leadership on the Lawn
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available

Eastern Shore Museum Network - Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
Charlottesville, Virginia, with travel to Eastern Shore
One internship available

Gibbes Museum of Art
Charleston, South Carolina
One internship available

Jefferson's University - The Early Life Project, 1819-1870
Charlottesville, Virginia
Three internships available

Library of Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
One internship available

Monticello Department of Archaeology
Charlottesville, Virginia
One internship available

Preservation Virginia
Charlottesville and Buckingham County, Virginia
Two internships available

Prince William County Historic Preservation Division
Northern Virginia
One internship available

Scottsville Museum and Historical Landmarks Foundation
Scottsville, Virginia
One internship available

UVA Law Library: Special Collections and Archives
Charlottesville, Virginia
Two internships available

UVA Nau Center for Civil War History
Charlottesville, Virginia
Five internships available

Virginia Museum of History and Culture
Richmond, Virginia
Two internships available

Summer 2017 Internships

Arthur J. Morris Law Library: Special Collections and Archives
Charlottesville, Va.
Two internships available
Gibbes Museum of Art
Charleston, South Carolina
One internship available
James Monroe's Highland
Charlottesville, Va.
Three internships available
Library of Virginia
Richmond, Va.
One internship available
John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History
University of Virginia
Four internships available, two with housing (Richmond and Fredericksburg)
Jefferson's University--The Early Life Project, 1819-1870 (JUEL)
University of Virginia
Three internships available
Take Back The Archive
Charlottesville, Va.
Two internships available
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
Charlottesville and Danville, Va.
Two internships available, one with housing (Danville)
Virginia Historical Society
Richmond, Va.
Two internships available