CWI’s experiential learning programs are closely aligned with Gettysburg College’s 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 CWI Fellows Program for returning students provides participants a range of opportunities to put history into action. The program focuses on supporting students in developing new professional skills 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 $2,750 stipend from the CWI (at minimum) and free on-site housing at their respective sites. The internship program is open to all matriculated Gettysburg College students.
In addition to its undergraduate programs, CWI also serves pre-college students with a passion for history through the Young Civil War Historians Conference. Campers explore the battlefield extensively, work hands-on with Civil War era documents, and are introduced to a wide range of vantage points through which to understand the Civil War. Participants in the Civil War camp experience college life first-hand: living in dorms, eating in the dining hall, and interacting with faculty members.