Public History Summer Internship Program 2019

UGA's Public History Summer Internship Program in Washington, D.C., is currently underway.  Public history is the work that historians do outside of the university to bring history to a wider audience. This can take place in many different settings but includes historic sites, museums, archives, libraries, parks, and monuments. Associate professor of history and director of the summer program Akela Reason shares this update:

The students just started their internships. This year, eight students are interning at the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Park Service, the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project, the Historical Society of Washington, DC, Hillwood Estate Museum and Garden, the Woodrow Wilson House, and the Library of Congress. The Public History in Washington, DC course that I just finished teaching included visits to Ford's Theater, Mount Vernon, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Gettysburg Battlefield, and a visit to the storage rooms of the National Museum of American History, where we viewed costumes from Hamilton, Roots, Breaking Bad, and got a close-up look at their large collection of Muppets given by the Henson family. 

That distinguished list itself explains the importance of the Summer Internship Program. These opportunities for students can set a great tone for fulfilling careers at leading cultural institutions within the nation's capitol and of course beyond. Kudos to Dr. Reason and the history department for the vision plus all the planning that goes into making this program such a success. Truly extraordinary opportunities for our students.

Image: 2019 Public History Summer Internship Program students in front of the US Capitol Building