List of Internships

Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (ACHS) 

Charlottesville, Virginia 

Two undergraduate internships, or one graduate internship

Researcher, writer and GIS assistant. “Boundaries and Bonds:  Rural Economy, Society, and the Law in Northern Albemarle County” 

Terms: The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (ACHS) is seeking 1 graduate or 2 advanced undergraduate student interns with strong research and writing skills, a background in American history, and familiarity with genealogical research and the local history of Albemarle County. Previous experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) a plus. Workspace will be provided in our Downtown Charlottesville office, and the intern will have the ability to work remotely if needed. The internship pays $20/hour for a graduate student or $15/hour each for two undergraduates, for 300 hours of work over the summer.

About the ACHS: 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.

Gibbes Museum of Art
Charleston, South Carolina

One undergraduate internship 
Collections and exhibitions

Terms: The intern will be introduced to the day-to-day operations of a mid-sized art museum in the heart of Charleston, S.C. 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. This unique opportunity will be available to a rising third- or fourth-year student 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 who are under-represented in the museum field are strongly encouraged to apply. This internship pays $XX an hour for XXX hours of on-site work. Interns must secure their own housing in Charleston. 

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 Bloomberg app will be part of the intern’s responsibilities. Interns will be given an opportunity to choose a capstone project for the summer that contributes to the Museum’s mission and goals.

Outcomes: The intern will gain 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 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 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. 

James Monroe’s Highland 

Charlottesville, Virginia

One undergraduate internship

Archiving and interpretation (tour guide)

Terms: The historic site of Pres. James Monroe’s plantation will host one enrolled undergraduate intern with experience in public history, history, or American Studies for summer 2025. Approximately one half of the internship time will be devoted to interpretation for the public, and approximately one half will be assistance on an archival project on institutional history. The intern will also support Highland’s Annual Descendants Day on a Saturday early in the summer. Weekend and occasional evening work will be required. This internship will be 280 hours at $15.50/hour.

Goals: The successful applicant will be eager to engage in the interpretation of diverse historical narratives for the visiting public. The applicant should be prepared with an understanding of U.S. history from 1750 to 1900, including themes of African American history, and be comfortable providing history walks and answering visitor questions. A commitment to effectively teaching complete and truthful history, with an understanding of the two-way nature of public history, is required. The successful applicant will be highly organized and demonstrate a familiarity with the management of digital files, scanning hardware and software, and the appropriate handling of documentary records. The intern will be a team player demonstrating flexibility and willingness to learn new skills. The intern is expected to be an active participant in their learning experience.

About: 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.

Louisa County Historical Society 

Louisa, Virginia (and remote)

Two internships

Museum assistant

Terms: The Louisa County Historical Society will host two interns with strong research and writing skills, and a background in American history. Experience with photography is prefered, but not required. Interns will assist with collections digitization and primary source research for upcoming exhibits related to VA 250 and ongoing archaeological excavations at the Laurel Hill Plantation. Workspace will be provided at the Sargeant Museum, Louisa, VA, and interns will have the ability to work remotely if needed. The internship pays $20/hour for a graduate student or $15/hour for undergraduates, for 300 hours of work over the summer.

Goals: The Louisa County Historical Society would like to provide interns with behind-the-scenes collections experience including processing archival materials, researching, and exhibit design/development.

About:  Founded in 1966, the Louisa County Historical Society brings to light, preserves, and shares the history of Louisa County. Its vision is to enlighten the present by illuminating the past in order to inspire the future. The Louisa County Historical Society is located in the town of Louisa in Central Virginia within driving distance of Charlottesville, Richmond, and Fredericksburg.

Pamunkey Indian Tribe Museum and Cultural Center 

King William, Virginia (hybrid options possible)

One internship

Cultural Resources and Museum Intern

Terms: The Pamunkey Indian Tribe seeks an intern to work closely with the 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, exhibition development, historic preservation, and/or tribal sovereignty issues. 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 Cultural Resources Director. This internship pays $15 per hour for 250 hours.

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 Tribe forward and enrich the student's understanding of the history, culture, and community of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and basic principles of tribal sovereignty.

About: As an arm of the Pamunkey Tribal Government, the Cultural Resources department ensures the protection and preservation of tangible and intangible Pamunkey cultural resources. The Pamunkey Indian Museum & Cultural Center is owned and operated by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and 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.

Prince William County Historical Commission 

Dumfries, Virginia

One internship

Historical research

Terms: The Prince William County Historical Commission, in coordination with the Planning Office and the Office of Historic Preservation, is seeking an intern to conduct a local historical research project. The intern needs to demonstrate the capability to work independently, and   possess strong oral and written communications skills along with organizational skills. The selected student will work closely with County historians and experts to review primary and secondary source material available at county and online repositories. Previous experience with archival research and GIS mapping is helpful but not required. The intern’s workspace will be in the Prince William County Planning Office, located at 5 County Complex Court, Suite 210, Prince William Virginia 22192. This research project is not to exceed 300 hours and the intern will be allotted a stipend of no more than $4,500.

Please note: The candidate must have access to housing and transportation to the Prince William County Planning Office and research repositories. Hybrid options may be available in consultation with the selected candidate, but in-person attendance at monthly Historical Commission meetings is required. Also, attendance at and reporting to the Prince William County Historical Commission during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting is required. These meetings take place on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm at 5 County Complex Court, Suite 210, Prince William, VA. The summer meeting dates are June 10, July 8, and August 12.

Goals: The Historical Commission has identified several potential research topics related to the history of Prince William County that may be pursued. One is to research the African American history of the Buckland community, in particular the broader historical context associated with the Ned the Distiller House and the free black history of Prince William County before the Civil War.

Outcomes: The final products will include narrative histories with annotated bibliographies. Digital copies will be posted online and hard copies will be made available to the Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC) through Prince William County Libraries. Depending upon available time and needs of the project, additional tasks, such as GIS mapping and spatial analysis may be undertaken under the direction of the Planning Office. The final project will also include a brief presentation to the Historical Commission at its August meeting.

About: The Prince William County Historical Commission is composed of 16 citizens appointed by the Board of County Supervisors. The Historical Commission advises the Board in its efforts to identify, preserve, protect and promote Prince William County's historical sites, artifacts, buildings and events. Members review land development applications and make recommendations regarding their impact on cultural resources; produce publications related to local history; provide input on the installation of historical highway markers; propose properties to be classified as County Registered Historic Sites; conduct tours; and award community service certificates.

Scottsville Museum

Scottsville, Virginia (+ hybrid)

One part-time undergraduate or graduate 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. The internship will be 10-weeks from Monday June 2 through Sunday August 10, including a formal project presentation to the museum board on Saturday August 9 at 9:30am, a possible exhibition, and a written article for our newsletter and website. This 10-week internship is part-time (16-24 hours per week) andpays $13/hour (undergraduate) or $15/hour (graduate).

Goals:  The Scottsville Museum is a small-town museum with a limited budget run by volunteers. The museum is seeking to expand the accessibility our collections. In an effort to do so, we are partnering with local organizations on one or two research projects (James Barclay and other connections to Monticello and stories of specific people that lived and worked on the James River Kanawha Canal). Through research on one of the specific themes above, 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.

Outcome: 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 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 one of the board members at lk9a@virginia.edu.

St. Luke’s Historic Church & Museum

Smithfield, Virginia (+ hybrid option)

One undergraduate or graduate internship

Digital public history

Terms: St Luke’s Historic Church & Museum is seeking one intern to help grow our museum’s digital public history efforts. The intern will be involved in researching historical topics and creating digital content that supports our educational programs. Projects can include but are not limited to helping to research, write and produce vlogs, blogs, and videos for the St. Luke’s website and self-guided tour app. Internship projects can be fitted to the student’s interests but will be centered around 17th-century religious history and parish life. Students studying areas like public history, museum studies, or digital media would be a good fit for this internship. Desirable qualifications include previous experience or familiarity with tools like Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere Pro, Audition, ect), Google Suite for collaboration and organization, and strong writing skills. Ultimately, we’re looking for someone who is eager to learn and collaborate with us while gaining hands-on experience in the museum and public history fields. This internship pays $15/hr for 300 hours.

Goals: The intern will assist staff with researching historical narratives, reaching out to experts, conducting interviews, and performing independent research. They’ll compile this data into digital content, ensuring the information is both engaging and easy to understand. St. Luke’s staff will provide support and feedback for this content allowing the intern to understand and analyze what digital content is preferred and effective in sharing history.

Outcomes: The intern will help increase St. Luke’s digital content and body of historical knowledge.

About: St. Luke’s Historic Church & Museum is a museum of Virginia's oldest church building with a completion date of circa 1685. The mission of the museum is to preserve, protect, and promote this historic church landmark and its collections, documents, history, graveyard, and surroundings. Our programming focuses on teaching diverse audiences about early 17th century American history and the enduring significance of our 1st Amendment Rights and the unique nature of the American Constitutional Republic.

UVA Law Library: Special Collections and Archives 

Charlottesville, Virginia

One internship 

Legal Knowledge Podcast

Terms: The Special Collections department of the UVA Law Library seeks a graduate student or advanced undergraduate student to help produce and promote the second season of a history-themed podcast. The podcast, titled Legal Knowledge, is inspired by the Law School’s forthcoming book (UVA Press) that explores the history of legal education at UVA from the Law School’s founding in 1819 to the present. The book brings together scholars 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. Season two focuses specifically on the Law School in the 20th and 21st centuries. Each episode will consist of an interview with an individual chapter author, ideally focusing on an element of their chapter that holds fascination for a broad audience. The intern will be a key member of the production team and will assist with all aspects of episode and interview planning. Additionally, the intern will develop social media and other outreach strategies for promoting the podcast when season two launches in Fall 2025. The intern must have strong research and organization skills and enjoy working in a collaborative environment. Experience with audio editing software is beneficial but not required. This internship pays $20/hr for 300 hours.

Goals: Alongside the Law Library’s Special Collections team, the intern will assist with planning and developing interview content for season two of the Legal Knowledge podcast. These responsibilities could include drafting questions and prompts, creating episode outlines, and scheduling interviews. The intern will also spearhead outreach planning in anticipation of the podcast’s season two launch in Fall 2025. This work might include preparing social media or blog posts, updating the podcast’s website with new content about each new interview, and creatively brainstorming other outreach initiatives to promote the podcast.

Outcome: The final product of this internship will be the creation of a podcast season that consists of a series of six interviews on the Law School’s history. The internship will offer professional development in podcast production, historical research, public history, and team-based project work in an institutional and academic archive.

About: The UVA School of Law was founded in 1819 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, and photographs. An important part of our mission is preserving, researching, and making accessible the history of the UVA School of Law.

Virginia Folklife Program, Virginia Humanities  

Charlottesville, Virginia (or remote)

One or two internships

Virginia Folklife StoryBooth Manager

Terms: The Virginia Folklife Program seeks an intern to work closely with the Virginia State Folklorist and Virginia Indian Program Coordinator 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 15 hours a week, with 20 hours a week preferred including some weekends. 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, but they must be able to travel on the following weekends: May 24-25, June 7-8, June 14 OR June 21, July 5, and August 16-17.This internship is for 200 hours over the course of the summer, and pays $18/hr for undergraduates and $22/hour for graduate students.

Goals and Outcomes: Interns’ duties will include: contacting tribal nations to secure vendor space for mobile oral history booth at powwows; developing event-specific interview questions and topics for oral history collection in partnership with tribal archivists; scheduling appropriate rentals for travel; transporting the story booth to powwows and events; managing the story booth setup, participant intake, and take down processes; processing fieldwork materials (interview transcription); developing profiles of interviews for our website and social media; design social media content; partnering with tribal archivists to deliver collected oral histories to tribal nations.

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.

Virginia Museum of History and Culture

Richmond, Virginia

One undergraduate internship
Archival Processing and Finding Aid Creation
Terms: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture will host one enrolled undergraduate intern with experience in public history, history, or American Studies for the summer of 2025. The intern will work with a collection of 20th-century business records related to aluminum to create a comprehensive finding aid to these materials. This undergraduate internship will pay $15.00/hour for 200 hours.
Goals: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture would like to provide an intern with experience in archival processing and the writing of finding aids. The finding aid will be featured on our website once completed.
About: The Virginia Museum of History & Culture has a mission: Connecting people to America's past through the unparalleled story of Virginia. By collecting, preserving, and interpreting the Commonwealth's history, we link past with present and inspire future generations. The VMHC 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.