Job Listing
🔗Curatorial Intern – 640 hours
Website National Park Service/NCPE Internship Program
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is located in Greensboro, NC. This park is the site of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, a significant American Revolutionary battle of the Southern Campaign. On the morning of March 15, 1781, British troops, led Lt. General Charles, Earl Cornwallis, would face the defense of the American continentals under the leadership of General Nathaniel Greene. In just under two and a half hours of fighting, the British would claim victory in the battle. However, having lost many of his men, Cornwallis was ultimately forced to abandon his southern Campaign and retreat south, leading to the eventual surrender of British troops at Yorktown later that year. The park preserves approximately 255 acres of the original 1000-acre battlefield. Guilford Courthouse was commissioned as the first nationally recognized Revolutionary era military park by the War Department in 1917. In 1933, the park became a National Park Service site.
The National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) Internship Program is a partnership with the National Park Service and other Federal agencies with cultural resource protection and public land management responsibilities. Its purpose is to accomplish needed and important work on federally protected lands while providing program participants with professional experience in their chosen fields. Interns work under the guidance of agency staff to complete projects or undertake programs in furtherance of the park’s mission.
To be eligible, applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old (or 35 if a veteran) when starting the internship, a college student or recent graduate (within the past 12 months at the time of application), enrolled in a degree-seeking program, and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Overview
The successful candidate will assist staff at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (GUCO) with several museum and collections projects. The park is looking for an intern who wants to help with hands-on curatorial work. Projects will vary based on the intern’s skill set and interest.
Duties and Responsibilities
Museum Housekeeping
The intern will be conducting varying degrees of cleaning tasks in the museum storage room and exhibit space. Most of the tasks consist of dusting and vacuuming rooms/artifacts, maintaining the humidifier, and identifying signs of pests or insect damage to objects. The intern will receive proper training from the Museum Curator on National Park Service Museum Standards. These standards will train the intern how to properly clean and handle artifacts.
Conditions Assessment
To ensure museum objects are provided the best care possible, the intern will assist in collecting data from temperature and RH data loggers and measure incoming UV radiation/direct light with a light reader. This position could also include collection management projects, such as cleaning books and architectural elements in the park’s Stone Library.
Cataloging
The intern may have the opportunity to assist with the annual inventory and the annually required museum checklist. They will also provide administrative support to curatorial staff for the park’s records management.
Exhibits
Interns will have an opportunity to work with cultural resources staff to develop new temporary exhibits using existing collections and develop social media/website-related content.
Miscellaneous Duties
As with the museum collection, the day-to-day tasks can change, depending on the park’s needs. Some additional tasks that may be required of the museum intern:
· Standing on your feet for long periods of time
· Answering visitor-related questions
· Filing catalog records for the collection
. Update Status of the Museum Program document, as needed
· May have the opportunity to aid in planning of 100% inventory and rehousing of museum collections
Qualified NCPE interns who complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate. Once earned, the PLC certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal permanent, temporary, or term positions. Visit https://preservenet.org/ncpe-internships/ for details about this benefit. Successful completion of the internship does not guarantee Federal employment.
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.
Eligible NCPE interns who successfully complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate. To be eligible to earn a PLC certificate, an intern must be 30 years old or younger (or 35 if a veteran). Once earned, the PLC hiring authority certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal temporary, term, or permanent positions. Successful completion of a NCPE internship does not guarantee Federal employment. Contact manager@preservenet.org for more details.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must be
*at least 18 years old;
*no older than 30 years of age (or 35 years if a Veteran) when beginning the internship; applicants who are 31 or older (or 36 or older if a Veteran) are not eligible;
*currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program at the college level (or recently graduated within the past 12 months)
*be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
Interns are not allowed 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 anytime 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 username 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. A PDF is preferred, labeled Your Your Last Name_Your First Name_Transcript. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages are preferred. A PDF is preferred but jpg, png, doc, or docx file types are accepted. 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 an application round; there is no limit at other times of the year. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
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.