CWI’s experiential learning programs are closely aligned with Gettysburg College’s new Guided Pathways program. The First Year Experience Program serves students who are interested in the experience & legacies of war, as well as history more broadly. Participants in this minimal-commitment program meet professionals in the field and learn about an array of career opportunities in fields related to history, public history, and the Civil War Era. Most sessions take the form of interactive explorations of the Gettysburg battlefield. The paid academic year CWI Fellows Program provides participating students a range of opportunities to put history into action. The program focuses on supporting students in developing new professional skills (from writing for the web to conducting/transcribing oral history interviews and giving historical tours) and exploring a range of career possibilities in history and public history/museum studies.
The Funded Internship Program provides 10-week opportunities to work on the frontlines of history at a wide range of historical sites, archives, and museums, including some of the nation’s best-known Civil War sites. Interns give public tours of iconic historic sites, gain hands-on experience with original artifacts and documents, lead educational programs, support public programming, assist with the preservation and management of historic landscapes, do policy and marketing work, and contribute to ongoing digital history initiatives. Students selected to participate in this internship program receive a $2,500 stipend from the CWI and free on-site housing at their respective sites. The internship program is open to all matriculated Gettysburg College students.
Students in the Civil War Era Studies and Public History minors are matched with a Career Connections mentor working in their respective field. Mentors are available to students to offer field-specific advice regarding good interviewing practices, resumes and cover letters, job skills, and career opportunities. Further expanding the Gettysburg commitment to mentorship, Career Connections mentors serve as a professional sounding board for students, supporting them in broadening their career horizons and identifying paths for developing their interests. The Career Connections program is committed to further enhancing the success our alumni have already achieved in the history field.
In addition to these undergraduate programs, CWI also serves pre-college students with a passion for history through the American Civil War Summer Camp. Campers explore the battlefield in interactive ways, following the paths of specific regiments whose stories they piece together through hands-on work with primary sources, and participate in a unique historical simulation centered around the 1863 New York City Draft Riots. Participants in the Civil War camp experience college life first-hand: living in dorms, eating in the dining hall, and interacting with faculty members.