Summer 2025 Internship with Branch of Interpretation & Education

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2025 Summer Internship

About the Park

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is a Civil War battlefield park comprised of four major battlefields: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. The park also includes a National Cemetery, the slave plantations Chatham and Ellwood, the "Stonewall" Jackson Death Site, and historic Salem Church.

About the Position

Interpretation Interns will be stationed in front line positions under the guidance of park staff and provide orientation and interpretation to the public at large. Interns participate in two weeks of intensive interpretive training to prepare them for their roles, after which they will staff front-line positions across the park and develop their own tours. Duties include:

• Greet and orient visitors to the battlefield.
• Engage with visitors about the history of the battlefield.
• Develop and present interpretive programs.
• Help facilitate visitors’ experience in the park.
• Summer interns may have a targeted project in addition to front line work that meets both park needs and the developmental goals of the intern.

As a Civil War site, we expect all park interpreters to engage with both the history and relevance of the war, including slavery as the cause of the war and major point of conflict throughout the war. Interns may have to discuss controversial topics with the public, including but not limited to: Confederate monumentation, slavery as a cause of the Civil War, and the history of inequality in the United States.

Requirements

• General knowledge of American history. Civil War expertise is not a prerequisite.
• Interest interpretation, public history, or careers with the National Park Service.
• Desire to develop or improve public speaking and written communication skills.

Schedule

Summer interns work a full-time schedule, 40 hour a week, over the course of 12 weeks, from May 19, 2025 to August 8, 2025. Working on weekends and holidays may be required.

Housing

Interns live in park housing located on the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville Battlefields free of charge. Each intern can expect to have their own room while sharing a kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, and communal space with 2-4 roommates. Please note, while Fredericksburg is not a rural area, because housing is located inside the park it can feel like you are living in the woods.

*Apply by February 7 to guarantee consideration for this summer internship*

Start Date - 2025-05-19

End Date - 2025-08-08