Internship Program at Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace
The internship program at Vance Birthplace is designed to introduce students to the field of Public History. During the internship students will see firsthand how a small historic site operates while gaining experience in customer service, public speaking, research, educational programming, interpretive writing, and collections care.
For this internship, students will be required to spend several hours at the site each week. The exact days of work will be decided upon between the Assistant Site Manager and the intern at the start of the internship. The site is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Some weekend work will be required. Interns must complete a minimum of 150 hours during their internship.
Each intern will work with the Assistant Site Manager to choose a project that best fits his/her interests and the site’s needs. Students may choose a project from one of three internship pathways:
- Education: Programming, Event Planning, and Outreach
- Research and Exhibit Design
- Collections Care
Students can expect to spend the first two weeks in training, reviewing the Volunteer Training Manual and following experienced staff as they complete daily activities. By the fifth week, interns must submit a project proposal to the Assistant Site Manager. During the second half of the internship, students will focus on developing, researching, and producing their projects. At the end of the internship, all students will meet with the Assistant Site Manager for a final review and self-evaluation.
Throughout the internship, students are also responsible for leading guided tours, assisting with visitor services, completing basic housekeeping tasks and collections care, contributing to all special events held during the internship, writing an article for the site’s e-newsletter, and crafting a series of social media posts for the Vance Birthplace Facebook page.
Please submit internship applications to Lauren.May@ncdcr.gov.