Job Listing
🔗NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow: The Lives of Domestic Workers at Glenmont, Thomas and Mina Edison’s Home
American Conservation Experience
The NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow will spend their first year researching the six generations of female domestic workers at the Edison family’s Victorian home, Glenmont. In addition to specifics about these workers, the Fellow will also place their experiences into broader social contexts, including labor, class, race, religion, and gender. The Mellon Fellow will also work as a part of an exhibition design team to develop an exhibit plan to open and interpret the workers’ quarters on the third floor of Glenmont to the visiting public. This includes developing components of the exhibit that will provide universal access to this new interpretive feature.
Each NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow will complete work in four areas. Fellows will (1) perform project-based research; (2) share research results; (3) produce and substantially contribute to interpretive and educational products; and (4) pursue career-focused work.
1) Project-Based Research: The Mellon fellow will use archives at the site and elsewhere to research and record information about the six generations of domestic workers who worked and lived at Glenmont, and to place their lives into broader contexts. Areas of interest to the park include the experiences and impacts of discrimination and marginalization of these workers; the roles of immigration, Americanization, and assimilation in the development of this workforce at Glenmont; the relevance of religion and ethnicities in who was hired and how; how middle-class social norms and morality impacted opportunities for domestic workers during this era, the interactions of the domestic workers with one another and their representation of the historic work culture, as well as how domestic servants fit into, contested, and/or supported existing social class structures. A summary report will be produced which will serve as a tool for park interpreters to develop future programming. Fellows will be encouraged to bring their own areas of expertise, interest, and creativity to this research, including formulating other research questions.
In year two, the Fellow will consult with their mentorship team, as well as other subject matter experts as needed, to propose a project for their second year.
2) Sharing Research Results: The Fellow will collaborate with their support team to prepare and share the results of their applied research with their hosts, cohort, Fellowship project team, the larger community of NPS staff and partners, and ultimately to visitors and community partners. This will include virtual and in-person presentations or workshops designed to be attended by park interpretive staff, interns, and volunteers as well as external park partners and stakeholders. Additionally, the Fellow will present a session at the NPS Northeast Regional DEIA discussion series, a monthly service-wide presentation that highlights topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Lastly, the Fellow will also be responsible for producing digital content such as a video or podcast which highlights their research process and journey. This product will be shared with the public via the park’s website and social media outlets.
The Fellow will be expected to develop and sustain connections with program-provided mentors and host staff, associated NPS staff, members of their Fellowship cohort, and other Fellows across the tenure of the program. In addition to being provided mentorship and support themselves, the Fellow will have the opportunity to mentor others and to enrich staff knowledge by organizing events such as virtual speaker series and presentations. Twice a year the Fellow will participate with their cohort in a virtual conference for NPS staff and partners to provide updates about their research. During the project, the Fellow will also be responsible for tracking and reporting accomplishments and for supplying copies of interpretive, educational, and research products to their host and to the National Coordinator.
3) Interpretive and Educational Products: During the first year of the project, the Mellon fellow will produce a chronological history of the six generations of female domestic workers at Glenmont in the form of a detailed summary report. The Fellow will also document and highlight their research process by producing a video or a podcast which will be shared with park staff and the general public. During the second year of the project, the Fellow will work as a member of the Exhibition Design Planning Team who will produce an exhibit plan to open the third-floor domestic workers’ quarters in the Glenmont mansion to the visiting public. This team will include park staff, NPS specialists in Interpretive Services (Harpers Ferry Center), an outside contractor that specializes in exhibition design, and NPS regional representatives. The Fellow’s support team will help them to identify feasible interpretive products informed by their applied research to produce a digital component for this new exhibit. Because the third floor of Glenmont is not universally accessible, this digital exhibition/program is a crucial accessible element of this project. This product for virtual visitors may include an app, a podcast, videos, social media, an interactive tablet activity, virtual public events, etc. The Fellow’s work will also seek to encourage experimentation and piloting of new opportunities to help illuminate new interpretative approaches and inclusion impacts.
4) Career-focused Research and Products: In consultation with their mentors, the Fellow will carry out a career-centered project. About 20 percent of the Fellowship will be dedicated to this scholarly work that advances the Fellow’s career path. The Fellow will be supported by a multidisciplinary team that draws upon NPS expertise in interpretation, cultural resources, exhibition design, accessibility, and archival research. In addition to NPS staff, the Fellow will have an external mentor whose work examines and explicates the themes and historic importance of the site, its social history, and the largely marginalized voices of women and domestic workers in the Edison story.
Essential Responsibilities and Tasks:
- Work with mentors to identify and implement research practices that support public history and critical museology.
- Conduct original research into the history of the women who worked at Glenmont and the interrelationship of the lives of these women with each other, and popular social norms and customs of the era, stereotypes related to ethnicity, religion, and morality, as well as to the overall social and hierarchical class structure of the time period.
- Produce a chronological history of the six decades of domestic workers who worked and lived at Glenmont, conducting research on-site at Thomas Edison National Historical Park as well as in external repositories, in order to develop a final summary report.
- Prepare and produce a video or a podcast to highlight their research process and journey, an end product to be shared with the general public.
- Work as a member of the Exhibition Design Planning Team to produce an exhibit plan to open the third-floor domestic workers’ quarters in the Glenmont mansion to the visiting public, use applied research to produce a digital interpretive component for this new exhibit.
- Collaborate with the support team to prepare and present virtual and/or in-person workshops or presentations to share their work with park interpretive staff, interns, and volunteers as well as across the NPS, with external park partners and stakeholders, and academic audiences.
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NCPE Internships: Eligibility & How to Apply
Benefits
All NCPE interns received an hourly stipend, the rate is listed at each position description. Additionally, interns receive paid time off (PTO), paid Federal holidays if working full-time, and access to NCPE's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for career and personal counseling, coaching, and referrals. Project sites may also offer a housing allowance and/or commuting stipend; this information is also listed in the description or offered during the interview.
As an organization operating under Public Land Corps Act (PLC) authority, many NCPE positions qualify the intern for Federal Hiring Preference if (1) they complete a minimum of 640 hours at one or more qualifying conservation project(s); (2) are between the ages of 16 and 30 years (35 if a veteran); and (3) apply for a Federal position at USAJOBS with PLC noted in the announcement within two years of completing the internship. Find out more about this hiring preference during the interview or contact manager@preservenet.org for details.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program or recently graduated (within the past 12 months) and be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Interns are not eligible to work more than 1200 hours total in the program; previous interns must stay within this overall limit. The length of an internship can vary from 10 to 30 weeks if full time (40 hours per week) or longer if on a part-time schedule. If selected, the exact starting date will be determined by you and the NPS supervisor. The stipend rate is $17.00 per hour unless otherwise listed.
The successful candidate is responsible for finding and paying for travel to and housing at the internship location; some exceptions apply. The supervising office may be able to assist in locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individual accepting the internship to find accommodation.
The National Council requires all interns working in-person at Federal facilities and/or with Federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination. Please be advised that you may also be required to wear a mask, depending on the protocols adopted by your work site. Also be aware that, due to Government-wide security requirements, a background check will be required if you are selected for a position. This will include providing information about recent housing and employment history. The position supervisor will have more information about these requirements and procedures at the time of hiring. You may direct any questions to NCPE's Internship Program Director, Julee Johnson, at manager@preservenet.org.
Please note that interns are not NCPE or NPS employees. Stipends are academic awards and taxes are not withheld, nor are social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have questions.
How to Apply
You may review NCPE's internship opportunities during the Summer and Winter application rounds without registering. Use the search function to find listings by location, keyword, or area of interest/category. Once you identify one or more positions of interest, there is a 3-step application process.
Step 1: Click on the Apply for Job button, then select Universal Application. Click on Register to create a User Account, which requires a username and email. A link will be sent to you from manager@preservenet.org to create a password. We suggest that you add this email to your safe senders list so you don't miss receiving this important link. You will be instructed to Log In to Preservenet using your user name or email and password, which will take you back to the Universal Application.
Step 2: The Universal Application is required to apply for all NCPE internships. You fill out this form only once. In addition to contact information, educational status, work history, and experience, it requires two attachments: (1) the 2 most recent years of academic transcripts. These may be unofficial transcripts if official versions are unavailable. PDF only, labeled Your Last Name_Your First Name_Transcript. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages preferred. May be .doc, .docx or PDF. Label Your Last Name_Your First Name_Resume. This form may be saved as a draft and completed later. Use the link provided to return to the form.
Step 3: Once you submit the Universal Application, you may browse and apply for NCPE internships using the link provided. Complete the application process by clicking on the Apply for job button found at each internship listing and upload the required Essay. Use the essay to explain why you are applying for an internship, including how your interest areas will benefit the National Park Service (NPS) and how the internship will further your studies and career goals. Be as specific as possible; there is a 400-word maximum length. Submit the essay to finish the application for that position. You may apply for a maximum of 6 internships during this application round. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Once the deadline for submission has passed, NPS supervisors will review the applications and may contact candidates for a phone interview. Candidates who are not selected will be notified. Please allow about 4 weeks after the deadline before inquiring about the status of your application.
Quick Tips on How to Apply
#1 If you feel you need to bolster your resume or expand your knowledge base in a certain area, consider offering research assistance to an authority at your university and/or design a 1-credit reading course with an eminent scholar or practitioner.
#2 "Experience" is more than paid work. It is any activity that gives you the knowledge and ability to do something well. So include in the Universal Application all relevant research projects, academic extracurricular activities, and volunteer interests to show your initiative, leadership, and competency.
#3 Proofread everything. The qualification most sought after for any job or internship is strong communication skills so start off on the right foot with no spelling or grammatical errors in your application.
Logging in with a Registered User Account and completing the Universal Application is required to apply for NCPE Internships. Please visit the Universal Application page to register for an account and complete the form. After logging in and completing the form, refreshing this listing will display the Job Application to apply online.