Public History Internship Opportunities

Applications Due April 5, 2013

Public History internships provide an excellent opportunity for students to engage in the historical discipline in novel ways. Any history major wishing to learn about the discipline of history outside the classroom can apply for an internship at any point during their major. For those interested in careers in public history, internships allow students to learn what types of work they enjoy and to acquire valuable skills and experience that may serve them in future careers.

Public history internships are available for undergraduate history majors during the fall semesters and is equivalent to one credit hour. Interns are expected to record one hundred hours in order to receive course credit. Each intern is awarded a $1,100 stipend to assist in paying course credits and defray any additional expenses the intern may incur while participating in the program.

Sloan Museum-Buick Gallery and Research Center, Collections Intern in Automotive Heritage

 

How to Apply:

History majors and History TCP majors are asked to submit the following to teh Department of History, 260 French Hall:

  • unofficial UM-Flint and transfer transcript,
  • personal statement (500-700 words) (your statement should address your enthusiasm for historical discipline and what you hope to gain from this experience outside the classroom).  

 

Internship Description:
The award for this internship is made possible by the Flint Area Auto Dealers Assocation. Interns work closely with the museum staff to catalog and process collections documenting Flint's rich automotive history at the Buick Gallery and Research Center in the museum’s Perry Archives. Experiences include working, researching, cataloging, and other collections related duties specifically dealing with the Buick and Automotive Collections. The hourly commitment is 100 hours with the intern receiving $10 per hour.

Periodic reports on the progress of the internship will be made to Thomas Henthorn, Assistant Professor of History at UM-Flint and Suzanne Sherman, Buicktown Chapter of BCA by the Curator of Collections at Sloan Museum. Students are required to complete a short reading list prior to beginning the internship. At the completion of the internship, the intern will write a reflective essay on the experience, and give an oral presentations to the Buicktown Chapter of the Buick Club of America.

Contact:
For more information on these and other internships, contact:
Dr. Thomas C. Henthorn,
Department of History,
(810) 762-3366,
henthorn@umflint.edu

Buick Gallery & Research Center is located at 303 Walnut Street behind The Whiting. The Gallery features over 25 classic and concept Buicks, Chevrolets and other locally built automobiles. The Perry Archives located inside the Gallery, houses information regarding the history of Genesee County and is not specific to only the automotive industry. The collection features nearly 200,000 items, including 20,000 photographs. The Archives portion is closed on weekends. Open Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday, noon – 5pm and Sunday closed.

Sloan Museum is located at 1221 E. Kearsley St., Flint. Museum hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Buick Gallery & Research Center hours are Monday though Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday noon to 5 p.m. and closed on Sunday. Admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 children 3-11, 2 and under FREE.  

Sloan Museum is a member organization of the Flint Cultural Center Corporation and is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

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Whaley House Museum, Collections Intern

 

How to Apply:

History majors and History TCP majors are asked to submit the following to teh Department of History, 260 French Hall:

  • unofficial UM-Flint and transfer transcript,
  • personal statement (500-700 words) (your statement should address your enthusiasm for historical discipline and what you hope to gain from this experience outside the classroom).

 

Internship Description:
The award for this internship is made possible by a grant from the MacFarlan Home Board of Directors. The Whaley Historic House Museum Internship is a unique opportunity for students to experience the way history is practiced at a Historic House Museum. Interns work closely with the museum staff to catalog and process collections, learn about the rold of Historic Houses in the museum community, and contribute to a long-term project underway at the museum.

Periodic reports on the progress of the internship will be made to Thomas Henthorn, Assistant Professor of History at UM-Flint by Whaley Historic House Museum personnel. Students are required to complete a short reading list prior to beginning the internship. At the completion of the internship, the intern will write a reflective essay on the experience, and make themselves available for presentations and interviews to promote the public history program at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Contact:
For more information on these and other internships, contact:
Dr. Thomas C. Henthorn,
Department of History,
(810) 762-3366,
henthorn@umflint.edu

Whaley House Museum is located at 624 East Kearsley Street, Flint, MI 48503. Whaley House Museum is a visible link to Flint's Victorian era past. In 1884 and 1885, Robert and Mary Whaley constructed their residence on East Kearsley Street. Robert and Mary were very prominent in their community. Robert Whaley was the president of Citizens Bank. During his tenure, he issued a $2,000 loan to William C. Durant and J. Dallas Dort that eventually led to the creation of General Motors. As a member of one of Flint's founding families, Mary was active in a number of civic organizations which included founding the McFarlan Home for Women. The museum is open for tours Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm and Saturday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

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Sloan Museum, Museum Education Intern

How to Apply:

History majors and History TCP majors are asked to submit the following to teh Department of History, 260 French Hall:

  • unofficial UM-Flint and transfer transcript,
  • personal statement (500-700 words) (your statement should address your enthusiasm for historical discipline and what you hope to gain from this experience outside the classroom).

 

Internship Description:
The Sloan Museum Education Intern is a unique opportunity to work closely with teh museum staff to create education programs using the museum's exhibits. Under the supervision of Sloan Museum personnel Education Interns will learn basic methodology and philosophy of museum education, and assist with programs for school, youth, family, and adult audiances.

Periodic reports on the progress of the internship will be made to Thomas Henthorn, Assistant Professor of History at UM-Flint by Sloan Museum personnel. Students are required to complete a short reading list prior to beginning the internship. At the completion of the internship, the intern will write a reflective essay on the experience and make themselves available for presentations and interviews to promote the public history program at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Contact:
For more information on these and other internships, contact:
Dr. Thomas C. Henthorn
Department of History
(810) 762-3366
henthorn@umflint.edu

Sloan Museum is located at 1221 E. Kearsley St., Flint. Museum hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 children 3-11, 2 and under FREE.

Sloan Museum is a member organization of the Flint Cultural Center Corporation and is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

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