The purpose of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is to commemorate the four Civil war battles fought in the Fredericksburg area; Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. The park also contains several historic buildings that are open to the public; Chatham Manor, Ellwood, Salem Church, and the Stonewall Jackson Shrine.

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Take note: Internship applications are currently being accepted for the summer of 2009. Interns are expected to start work on May 20th, 2009 and finish work on August 16th , 2009.

Type of Internship:
Historical Interpreter

Required Qualifications:
- Be currently enrolled full-time in a college or university.

- Have completed one year of academic study toward a degree in History, Political Science, American Studies, Historical Preservation or related field. Have a cumulated grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale or be in good standing as defined by the institution enrolled in. Possess a valid state driver's license. 

Duties:
The intern positions for Historical Interpreters contain duties and responsibilities directly related to the personal services provided to park visitors. While most people identify the word "interpreter" with someone who translates from one language to another, the historical interpreter does something similar by helping park visitors appreciate the rather complex historical events in a manner which can be easily understood by the general public.

Historical Interpreters should be interested in the Civil War era and enjoy meeting with the public and talking with people from all over the country. The ability to demonstrate people oriented skills is important to being successful at this internship.

Historical Interpreters work at the information desks in one of the park's two visitor centers, or work in one of the park's historic structures. Duties of the position include answering visitor inquiries pertaining to orientation of park and area points of interest, as well as research questions about the Civil War. A key duty of the intern in Historical Interpretation is to research, develop and conduct a 35-minute walking tour over one of the area battlefields.

Internships in excess of 400 hours are assigned to work two duty stations. The Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center assignment includes presenting a conducted walking tour along part of the Confederate battle-line known as the Sunken Road. An assignment at the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center includes guiding a walking tour over the area where Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson was mortally wounded in the battle. The interpretive duties at the "Stonewall" Jackson Shrine, where the general died eight days after being shot at Chancellorsville, includes a talk on the last days of Jackson while showing visitors around the building.

The park visitor facilities are open seven days a week and internships are available each day. Weekend work may be required. The summer and spring usually offer the best opportunities for internships in this field.

When Internships are Available:
Historical Interpreter positions are available during the span from March through October. For a variety of reasons, the Historical Interpreters are needed at three different time periods of the year: 1) March through mid-May; 2) mid-May through mid-August; and 3) mid-August through end of October.

When to apply:
The park begins filling internship positions from December-February, for the summer season. September through November a candidate should send in the application form, resume, etc to be considered for a position.

Housing:
When housing is available, it is provided free of charge to interns working full-time. Interns share the houses with seasonal employees and other volunteers, and must participate in housecleaning assignments. The houses include kitchen and laundry facilities, and a telephone.

Length of Internship:
Historical Interpreter internships typically require a commitment of twelve weeks.

Benefits:
- Experience working in an area of the National Park Service that could lead to a future position as a paid employee.

- School credit as arranged by applicant with the college/university.

- The opportunity to educate and provide service to park visitors.

- Free housing in park quarters.

- Uniforms will be provided.

How To Apply:
Fill in the attached application form and send to the address below or cut and the paste the form into a Microsoft word document which you can send as an attachment to this e-mail .  

The mailing address is:
Attn: Greg Mertz
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
120 Chatham Lane
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22405.

Questions should be addressed to Greg Mertz at (540) 373-6124.