The Washington Trust is looking for an intern to help get the word out about our annual Youth Heritage Project (YHP) coming in July 2024. If you’re interested in history, conservation, and making a difference for high school students, this position would be a great fit for you!

About this role

This paid internship will lead school/student outreach for the Youth Heritage Project, a free annual program that connects high school students to our state’s important historic, cultural, and natural resources. For four days at YHP, students are immersed in real-life preservation and cultural resource case studies, working with experts from the National Park Service, Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, and more. Through this program, the Washington Trust seeks to open up career paths to students interested in history, conservation, and public service and inspire the youth who will be our state’s next advocates and activists.

The YHP Outreach Intern will be a key part of helping to ensure equitable access to this free program, conducting strategic outreach to schools and student groups with the goal of increasing the diversity of student-participants for YHP 2024. Activities will include: completing a YHP outreach plan, building relationships with area educators, disseminating strategic communications, offering virtual and in-person presentations, tracking applicant/participant demographics, and making recommendations for future YHP outreach efforts.

  • Pay: $21/hour
  • Hours: 160 hours total
  • Timing: Flexible timeframe between January and June 2024. We are happy to collaborate with the selected intern to determine when 160 hours will be completed. For example, the intern may choose to work 6-7 hours per week for the full timeframe or may choose to concentrate all 160 hours into a shorter time period. The selected intern will be expected to check in with staff regularly (either virtually or in-person) but will otherwise have the flexibility to work on their own time.
  • Location: Office space in Seattle in available if requested, but remote work is also allowed. Some limited travel may be requested for school outreach/presentations.

Qualifications & requirements

To apply, candidates must be enrolled in or recently graduated (within two years) from an accredited undergraduate or graduate program in Washington State. Prospective interns should have an academic area of focus in a history- or humanities-based field, which can range from history and cultural studies to education and communications.

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

  • Working with kids, schools, or community partners
  • Planning and implementing outreach across multiple platforms (e-mail, social media, etc.)
  • Crafting clear, compelling writing for a public audience
  • Leading informational presentations for public groups
  • Project and detail management

How to apply

Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to in**@pr********.org by December 15, 2023. Please include “YHP Outreach Intern” in the subject line of your email.

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 2024 that work best for you or will not work at all?
  • Do you prefer to work remote, in-person, or in a hybrid model (blend of remote and in-person)?
  • Where will you be working from during the period of the internship, and would you be able to relocate? Please keep in mind that travel and lodging expenses are not provided.

About us

As Washington’s only statewide, nonprofit historic preservation organization, the Washington Trust is dedicated to saving the places that matter in Washington State and to promoting sustainable and economically viable communities through historic preservation. 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.

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.