2020 Public Humanities Internships
In summer 2020, CHPS launched its Public Humanities Internship Program for Ph.D. students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, supporting four internship placements with community and cultural partner organizations. Originally designed as on-site, in-person opportunities, the internships were adapted to a remote format in response to the pandemic, and all interns successfully transitioned to virtual work. Working closely with site mentors on specific projects, Ph.D. students expanded their professional skills, built networks, and gained meaningful humanistic work experiences beyond an academic setting.
Meet our 2020 interns
Click below to learn more about the graduate students behind this year’s internships and how they will put humanities skills into practice beyond the academy.)
2020 Internship Partners
The Hippodrome Theater
Historical Research Assistant
The Hippodrome(opens in new tab) was founded in 1972 by six artists with the goal of presenting the best in challenging, contemporary theatre. The Hippodrome Theatre is committed to artistic excellence in North Florida. Their mission is to collaborate with artists, create productions, education programs, events, and cinematic programming that reflect and elevate the diverse cultures and perspectives of the region, and to create and maintain ongoing engagement with our community.
The purpose of this internship was to conduct research and oral histories related to the founding of the Hippodrome Theatre. Some of the responsibilities included interviewing founding members of the theatre as well as other prominent people from the Hippodrome’s history, and researching the history of the theatre in digital archives. These oral histories serve as the basis for a new podcast with the Hippodrome, “The Hipp Six.” While live performances are not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this podcast will connect the Hippodrome with new and existing audiences in an accessible way. For more information,
Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute
Social Media Outreach Assistant
The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute(opens in new tab) (FSI) is a science and education based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Their mission is to document the health of Florida’s springs and provide education about the threats that face them in hopes to ensure that future generations of wildlife and humans can enjoy Florida’s springs. FSI is located in a historic building in downtown High Springs, Florida. They concurrently operate the North Florida Springs Environmental Center, which is open to the public.
The goal of this internship was to assist FSI in the creation of online outreach campaigns for FSI’s social media. The internship responsibilities included assisting with content creation of FSI’s website, such as blog writing.
University Press of Florida
Outreach Assistant
As the scholarly publishing arm of the State University System of Florida (SUS), the University Press of Florida (UPF) has been engaging students, educators, and discerning readers since its founding in 1945. In their 77-year history, they have published more than 3,000 volumes and currently release 70 new titles each year. A nonprofit publisher of scholarly and general-interest books and journals, and one of the largest university presses in the South, they have earned a prominent reputation for publishing distinguished works by important global and local voices. Through their award-winning regional publishing program, they offer the citizens of Florida engaging, authoritative works on the region’s history, culture, art, music, food, literature, geography, politics, environment, and plant and animal life.
The intern will work to develop a public outreach campaign for a new graphic novel on Florida music history with the goal of establishing a foundation for the Press to build on in promoting future graphic works. In doing so, the intern will help the Press bring information and scholarship on the region’s history and culture to new audiences through the graphic format. The intern will also research avenues for promoting books in the genre of creative nonfiction, helping lay the groundwork for public outreach efforts for a forthcoming book series. Moreover, the intern will develop databases of media outlets, bookstores, libraries, centers, programs, organizations, and book clubs for the Press to draw on in promoting future books in these genres.
Historic Thomas Center
Exhibition Research Assistant
The City of Gainesville Parks and Recreation Department and the Cultural Affairs Department’s mission is to be the keeper and host of the places where nature, recreation and culture meet. In support of this mission, the Cultural Affairs Division provides its community with diverse gallery exhibitions and public art installations. Programming is guided by a set of objectives which include using arts and culture to bridge and connect communities and residents.
The Galleries at the Historic Thomas Center(opens in new tab) prepare and present challenging and informative art exhibitions. The City has recently acquired a collection of the work of African American self-taught artist, Alyne Harris (b. 1942). The teachings of Christianity and her connections to church and community life are the two great and interconnected influences in this body of work. The City of Gainesville needed an intern to research and prepare interpretive content about the historical significance of the Christian tradition and the history of 20th century African American churches in the Gainesville community in support of an upcoming art exhibition.
Howard W. Bishop Middle School’s Community Partnership School
Volunteer Program Development
The Community Partnership School (CPS) model is a collective impact model that focuses on improving outcomes for students, families, and communities through collaborative partnerships in Gainesville, Florida at Howard Bishop Middle School (HBMS). The CPS improves the lives of students, parents, teachers, faculty, staff and community members by engaging four key partners: the Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS), the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC), the Alachua County Health Department (ACHD), the University of Florida (UF), and Santa Fe College (SF).
The goal of this internship was to improve the ability of the school to understand what volunteers offer in terms of competence experience and training, and to more effectively link these to specific needs throughout the school and in the classroom to enhance the overall learning environment for the students.