Building Community/Documenting History
Students with interests in history, urban studies, museum studies, historic preservation, archaeology, ecology, gardens, and community-building are encouraged to apply for this internship with Historic Germantown (HG), a partnership organization of 18 independent historic, green, and cultural sites in Northwest Philadelphia.
HG works collaboratively to preserve these assets, increase public access and equity, and raise their visibility though facilitating tours, lectures, exhibits, festivals and other public programming; distributing funding for building preservation; creating and disseminating print and electronic resources related to the history of the region; and providing training, networking and peer learning opportunities for site owners and managers.
The internship provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop skills and exercise leadership critical to their academic career and to explore areas such as museum/historic site management; curatorial practice; research and writing for popular and professional audiences; and community engagement. Recent SHIP interns have helped produce original research and writing projects including an extensive field survey that documented the social and economic impact of HG member sites, and a published research paper on (im)migration patterns in Germantown, 1970-2020.
Successful applicants will possess a keen interest in the subject matter as demonstrated in their academic studies, write well for general audiences, and have the ability to productively engage with colleagues and to follow through on projects.
The internship typically involves a larger research/writing based project as well as other responsibilities that will be tailored to individual interests and skills and may focus on one or more the following areas:
- Site promotion and marketing
- Research and writing
- Community-based planning and organizing
- Program or exhibit design
The internship will be in-person with some flexibility for off-site work, especially for writing projects. Interns may be expected to work occasional evenings and/or weekends. More information about Historic Germantown is available at: http://www.freedomsbackyard.com For more information or questions about the internship, contact Tuomi Forrest: director@freedomsbackyard.org; 215-746-5825.
Application Procedure
To apply for this or any of the other SHIP internships, please follow the instructions at the Summer Humanities Internship Program homepage.