Simmons Graduate Internship Program The Henry Ford's Simmons Internship Program is designed for current graduate students pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, conservation labs, or related fields. These internships provide participants with a great opportunity to gain in-depth work experience in a major American history museum. Hermitage Research and Interpretation Planning Simmons Internship This project supports a cross-departmental effort to review research findings, conduct original research, and refine the interpretive plan for two dwellings that housed enslaved people at the Hermitage Plantation, originally located near Savannah, Georgia, and acquired and relocated to The Henry Ford's Greenfield Village in 1934.
Duties and Responsibilities: Ability to conduct advanced research in African American history, contextualize it, and propose and defend high-quality public history products.
Duties will include: • Reviewing findings and reports compiled by previous research teams.
• Reviewing primary source evidence in The Henry Ford collections.
• Conducting original research to document the history of enslaved people at and near The Hermitage.
• Review existing programming and educational material.
• Synthesize into the Big Idea and interpretive themes for reinterpreting the structures.
• Draft the interpretive manual and respond to team critique to finalize the document.
Minimum Requirements: • Enrollment in a graduate-level program in museum studies or public history at an accredited institution of higher learning.
• Interest in African-American, southern, agricultural and/or environmental history.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Demonstrated writing skills.
• Self-direction and attention to detail.
Stipend and Terms of Internship Simmons interns are awarded stipends for a minimum 12-week full time internship. Starting and ending dates for individual internships are negotiable. The Simmons Internship Program is funded by the Vera W. and Walter E. Simmons Endowment Fund. Applications should include: • A letter of application, stating how your graduate studies, work and/or volunteer experience and personal interests qualify you for the specific project
• A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Two references
Students may apply for more than one internship project but must submit a unique letter of application for each. The deadline for application is Sunday, March 1.