The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, which operates the Washington State Main Street Program in conjunction with the state Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, seeks a research intern to undertake a six-month project around underrepresented communities’ sense of belonging in Main Street towns and cities. If you’re interested in placemaking, community planning, or historic preservation, this position could be a great fit for you!

About this role

Established in 1984, the Washington State Main Street Program helps Washington communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown commercial districts. It does so using the Main Street Approach, a unique preservation-based economic development tool that enables communities to revitalize downtown and neighborhood business districts by leveraging local assets, from historic, cultural, and architectural resources to local enterprises and community pride.

Today, there are more than 70 members of the Washington State Main Street Program network, from LaCrosse and Roslyn to Vancouver, Everett, and Bellingham. For these towns and cities, our Main Street staff provides an array of services and technical assistance, including professional development for staff and training for boards and volunteers, network-wide trainings and resources, and individual technical assistance—all aimed at strengthening local Main Street organizations and increasing their capacity and impact as they work to support their districts.

As our Main Street staff work to facilitate economic revitalization efforts around the state, including supporting local Main Street orgs, community leaders, and small business owners, we seek to do so with an inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) lens. We know that some groups are often largely invisible within a town’s overall identity or history and that the diversity of residents that is present in our towns and cities is not always apparent downtown. Through this internship, we seek to undertake a six-month project researching underrepresented communities’ sense of belonging in Main Street Communities—visiting communities in person alongside Main Street staff, conducting interviews with community members, applying a belonging framework to feedback analysis, and generating a report summarizing key takeaways.

  • Pay: $21.00/hour
  • Hours: 250 hours total
  • Timing: Flexible timeframe between January and June 2025. The selected intern will be expected to check in with staff regularly (on a virtual basis) and to travel occasionally with staff but will otherwise have the flexibility to work on their own time.
  • Location: Remote work. Some travel required.

Qualifications & requirements

To apply, candidates must be enrolled in or recently graduated (within two years) from an accredited graduate program in Washington State. Prospective interns should have an academic area of focus in a related field, including but not limited to urban design and planning, history, geography, or cultural studies.

Ideal candidates will also have experience with or skills in the areas of:

  • Conducting interviews with individuals and community groups, with an emphasis on cultural sensitivity
  • Research, surveys, and data analysis
  • Project and detail management

How to apply

Interested candidates should send a resume, three references, and cover letter to  with the subject line “Main Street Intern” by December 4, 2024.

Your cover letter should address questions such as:

  • Why are you interested in this internship?
  • What are your professional aspirations/goals for the future?
  • What experiences and skills do you bring?
  • What do you hope to get out of this internship?

In your cover letter or as a separate attachment, please also answer the following questions about your availability:

  • Are you required to complete an internship per your academic program?
  • Are there specific timeframes between January and June 2025 that work best for you or will not work at all?
  • Where will you be working from during the period of the internship, and would you be able to travel on occasion? Travel expenses will be covered.

About us

As Washington’s only statewide, nonprofit historic preservation organization, the Washington Trust partners with communities to preserve, share, and shape the future of historic places in Washington State. We work to build a statewide ethic that preserves Washington’s historic places through advocacy, education, collaboration, and stewardship. The Washington Trust brings a people-centered approach to preservation and commits to being inclusive, proactive, empowering, and approachable throughout our work. Learn more about the Washington Trust.

The Washington State Main Street Program helps communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown districts using the successful Main Street Approach™, a comprehensive revitalization strategy built around a community’s unique heritage and attributes. The Washington State Main Street Program is a program of the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, managed under contract by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. Learn more about the Washington State Main Street Program.

Thank you!

This internship is generously funded by the Washington State Historical Society’s Diversity in Local History Grant Program, which offers paid internships to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at heritage organizations across the state.