Interning at the Oberlin Heritage Center
Tour & Research Internship (Community Based Work-Study Program)
Winter Term Mini Documentary Project
Tour & Research Internship
This is a Community Based Work-Study position. Only Oberlin College students with Federal Work Study are eligible to apply.
Organization Overview: The Oberlin Heritage Center is a not-for-profit community organization whose mission is "to preserve and share Oberlin's heritage and to make Oberlin a better place to live, learn, work and visit." The organization offers tours of its three historic buildings, history walks of Oberlin, youth spring break and summer camps, and public programs throughout the year. The award-winning organization is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. More information about the organization is available at www.oberlinheritagecenter.org.
Position Overview: Students in this position are responsible for helping staff and volunteers lead tours, prepare and implement public programs, and maintain historical and administrative records. We are very interested in helping interns meet personal interest and skill goals as far as is feasible.
Assigned duties may include the following:
- Giving tours of the Heritage Center's three buildings
- Assisting with research projects and information requests
- Greeting the public, answering phones, and other clerical duties
- Assisting with some special events, programs, and projects
- Other duties as assigned
Essential Job Functions:
- Work well independently and with other staff, interns, volunteers, and the public
- Be eager to contribute to a team effort
- Be flexible and productive despite interruptions
- Have a professional appearance
- Climb stairs frequently due to the layout of our historic buildings
- Pay attention to detail Work some weekend hours
- Communicate effectively in writing and orally
- Be proficient in Microsoft Office.
- Website and database experience helpful
- Knowledge of Oberlin community and its history helpful but not required
- General office, non-profit organization, or work experience with the public and volunteers preferred but not required.
- Interest, training and experience in museums, preservation, history, architecture, and education preferred.
This is a Federal Work-Study position with a starting pay of $12.00/hr (depending on experience), approximately 4-6 hours per week.
Interested students should email Amanda Manahan with a resume and a cover letter explaining why they are interested in this position and how they qualify.
Winter Term Project - Black Voting Rights Mini Documentary
This opportunity is only for Oberlin College students. Winter Term is from 1/3/2025-1/28/2023. This is an unpaid experience.
About the Project:
OHC is seeking a student to assist with the research and creation of a mini documentary about the role Oberlinians played in Black Voting Rights in the United States. This documentary is part of a five-video series funded by the America-250 Ohio Commission exploring how Oberlin effected change both nationally and internationally. These videos will be created in line with 8th grade reading and learning standards and made publicly available. The student will work with staff to conduct research, create a narration script, identify and obtain permissions for images, and begin building the documentary in Wondershare Filmora.
Desired Skills:
The student should be confident in conducting historical research, possess strong writing skills, be self-motivated, and demonstrate excellent organizational habits. Experience in video/sound editing and an interest in 19th century American social history and/or local Oberlin history is preferred, but not required.
Expectations & Benefits to the Student:
The majority of project work will be done at OHC’s office during its operating hours (Tuesday-Saturday) and critical work should be conducted on OHC computers. Occasional remote work may be possible but must be approved by the project supervisor in advance. Students will be expected to work independently for the majority of the term with regularly scheduled check-ins with OHC staff.
Students will gain experience in historical research, education, and interpretation, non-profit museum work, script-writing, video production, and project management skills.
This project can be applied to a full Winter Term credit. Students are expected to complete 30-35 hours per week (minimum of 100 total hours).
To Be Considered:
Email a resume and a cover letter explaining your interest and capacity to take on this project to Amanda Manahan by Tuesday, November 5. A brief interview will follow.
Oberlin Heritage Center COVID-19 Policy
Please note that the Oberlin Heritage Center may have safety policies and requirements in effect in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic that impact paid employees, interns, and volunteers who regularly work indoors and interact with the public. For information about current policies, please contact the Executive Director, Liz Schultz, for details. [email protected]
Why Intern at OHC?
Gain professional and life-long skills, connect with passionate community members, and learn about this unique town. Student interns participate in a variety of tasks - giving tours, helping staff the office, assisting with research projects such as the Oberlin Historic Inventory and the Oberlin Oral History Project, cataloging and caring for collections, helping at special events, and maintaining our online resources.
College students have worked for us in a variety of capacities: Bonner Scholars, work-study students through the Community Based Work-Study Program of Oberlin College and other programs, and as summer interns. Students from all areas of study are encouraged to apply - you need not be a history major (although you certainly may be)!
Over the last few years, the Oberlin Heritage Center has made it a priority to hire an Oberlin High School or a college student employee each summer! If you want to learn more about the community, meet new people, learn professional skills, and earn money, then this might be the job for you! Applicants should be team players who take pride in the quality of their work.
We train new interns or volunteers at the beginning of a semester, winter term, or summer term, so please plan your schedule accordingly and call ahead about internship availability. The Oberlin Heritage Center attempts to provide internship opportunities or special projects for Oberlin students during Winter Term.
Questions about the Oberlin Heritage Center internship program should be directed to the Museum Education and Tour Manager.
If you are interested in becoming an unpaid volunteer with the Oberlin Heritage Center, please see our volunteer page and talk to us about tailoring your experience to fit your interests.
See our current intern page.
Comments from Former Oberlin Heritage Center Interns
Ondrea Kieth, OC '10
"I have started my Americorps*VISTA appointment. I spent this week and last week in Chicago/Columbus learning the ropes and meeting new people. I was struck multiple times at how fabulously OHC prepared me for this position. The experience I gained in public relations, volunteer relations, and how to professionally present myself is invaluable. Thank you!!"
Joshua Aerie, OC '99
"I have fond memories of all of the [Oberlin Heritage Center] folks, the 'grounds,' and of course the Jewett House. Shoveling/plowing snow in the early winter mornings, emptying the trash in the Monroe House in the late evenings, and vacuuming around the fantastic gingerbread house displays at Christmastime. My experiences at [the Oberlin Heritage Center] are among my fondest Oberlin memories."
Genevieve Baudoin, OC '02
"I loved all the volunteers and staff I got to work with, it was a great experience. I'm now about to graduate from Harvard Graduate School of Design with a Master's in Architecture. Obviously architecture stuck!"
Jonathan Edmonds, OC '98
"Working at O.H.I.O. was a perfect complement to my American history studies at the college and piqued much of my interest in exploring the layers of social history within Oberlin, including radical history, women's history, African-American history, and the religious history of Oberlin in the larger scope of the Second Great Awakening.... I also valued so much the connections and friendships I enjoyed with people across the generations outside of the Oberlin campus. It was wonderful to run into O.H.I.O. volunteers whilst walking around town and stop and chat with them as fellow community members."
Hyun-Jung Kim, OC '96
"When I was in college, sometimes it felt really hard to go into work because I often found college life mentally and emotionally exhausting....Therefore I'm very happy I had the opportunity to do work in a very nurturing, low-stress environment that encouraged initiative and creativity....I'm also glad I got to see and participate in a side of life at Oberlin I would not have had access to had I only maintained a life within Oberlin College itself. I also had the luck of having positive adult role models like Pat [Murphy]."
Sarah Lariviere, OC '97
I so enjoyed giving tours of the mansion ('notice the Italianate design') and compiling a book about the history of 'little red schoolhouses' for Oberlin's own. Spending time with both the books in the schoolhouse and memoirs about people's one-room schoolhouse experiences really ignited my imagination. I sometimes think about it in comparison to my work today, as a social worker at an elementary school in downtown Brooklyn, NY. Given the limited resources available to NYC public school students, perhaps some of the children with whom I work would benefit from the intensity of a one-room schoolhouse environment, complete with walking miles and miles to school and drying wet wooly mittens on the stove!"
Laurie Stein, OC '06
"I wanted to let you know what great preparation the Museum Fellow position was for this type of program (M.A. in Historical Administration). I'm pretty much the resident expert in building surveys for Historic Preservation class, but it's more than just that. In our Administration of Historical Organizations class we spend most of our time reading and discussing standards and best practices, fundraising, community engagement, governance, accreditation, etc., and everything I read/every speaker that comes to talk to us further impresses on me what a wonderful model I had working with you at the Oberlin Heritage Center...so, thanks!"
