Public History Internship Opportunity with Ligonier Valley Historical Society & compass inn museum

Ligonier Valley Historical Society and Compass Inn Museum offers internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students studying American history, education, museum studies, public history, and other related fields. Ligonier Valley Historical Society is willing to work with you and your school to arrange your receiving course credit for your internship.

Join the living history interpreters and program team at Compass Inn Museum. Combine public speaking and storytelling to bring the 1800’s to life and invite all people to connect with the history of our region. Ligonier Valley Historical Society is a non-profit that preserves and protects several of Ligonier Valley’s treasures, including Compass Inn Museum, 7 historic cemeteries, and an 1845 iron furnace. Compass Inn Museum interprets life at a stagecoach stop along the original Pennsylvania Turnpike during the 1800’s. The site includes the original inn, a reconstructed and functioning cookhouse, and a blacksmith shop, in addition to a barn housing a stagecoach and Conestoga wagon. The museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places features guided tours, Living History weekends, field trips, summer camps, and other educational programming.

Interns will assist other team members in organizing setting up, adn facilitating education programs for youth and adults. This includes facilitating field trips and summer day camp, leading guided tours in period clothing of historic buildings, special events, and living history weekends. Other responsibilities will include greeting and orienting visitors in a friendly and professional manner, performing light cleaning of the museum buildings and grounds, and other day-to-day operation tasks. The intern will also have opportunities to assist with marketing programs and events through social media posts and creating printed materials.

The intern must be interested in sharing history with people of all ages and backgrounds; wearing period clothing during tours and events; demontrate strong organizational, verbal, and written communication skills; and can work as part of a team or independently.

The Intern Should Expect to:

  • Education- Assist other team members in organizing, setting up, and facilitating school field trips and adult motor coach tours at Compass Inn Museum

  • Summer Day Camp- Co-teaching Stagecoach Adventurers “History Meets Gadgets” weeklong summer day camp.

  • Living History Events- Assist in the planning, logistics, and implementation of the museum’s living history weekends and events.

  • Interpretation- Facilitating 50-minute long tours of Compass Inn Museum, Historic House Museum and outbuilding in period clothing.

  • Museum Operations- Assist in the Gift Shop, with special events, light housekeeping/maintenance of the museum, and other duties as needed.

  • Marketing- Assist with marketing events through social media posts and creating printed material.

  • Research- Assist with historical research and cataloging archives and collections.

  • Participate in bi-weekly (every other week) progress meetings with Executive Director and Head Museum Interpreter.

Qualifications:

  • Interest in and curiosity about museum education.

  • Some experience or studies in a field such as education, history, art history, or museum education or studies, a plus.

  • Ability to stand for up to 90 minutes and lift 25 pounds.

  • Ability to speak at an acceptable volume for 3-4, 50 minute periods, daily.

  • Ability to work with people of all ages and backgrounds.

  • Willingness to wear period clothing. (Provided or approved by Program Coordinator)

  • Excellent organizational skills with an ability to adapt and/or problem-solve.

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • Excellent organizational skills with a strong ability to manage time efficiently and multi-task.

  • The internship will require weekday, weekend, and some evening hours. Actual days and hours of work will be determined by mutual agreement.

Our internship program is funded through the Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board program Experience Works Plus!. You will be required to submit and application and be approved through their program to recieve funding. To learn more about this program, click this link.

Interested students should submit questions and/or a cover letter and resume to lvhscompassinn@gmail.com.