Funded Internships

CWI's Funded Internship Program offers Gettysburg College students a special opportunity to do paid work on the frontlines of history, giving public tours of iconic historic sites, gaining hands-on experience with original artifacts and documents, leading educational programs, supporting public programming, assisting with the preservation and management of historic landscapes, doing policy and marketing work, and contributing to ongoing digital history initiatives. 

Participants receive a $2,500 stipend from the CWI (at minimum) and free on-site housing at their respective parks/museums. Applicants need not be history majors or specialists in the Civil War era, although good communication skills, substantial interest in the past, and a desire to share that interest with others are essential. The internship program is open to all matriculated Gettysburg College students, although first-years, sophomores, and juniors receive priority in selection, and is administered according to Gettysburg College’s nondiscrimination policy, details of which can be found on the Admissions/Financial Aid website.

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Several focused programs exist under the umbrella of the Funded Internships Program, such as the Brian C. Pohanka Internship Program; the Gallagher Internship Program; and the Kuhn Internships. The Pohanka Program, CWI's flagship internship program, was established in in 2011 thanks to the generosity of the John J. Pohanka Family Foundation. The Pohanka Program, which has to date served more than 100 students, supports long-term partnerships between Gettysburg College and a wide range of the nation’s most high-profile Civil War sites. The Gallagher Program supplements the Pohanka Internships through providing focused support for student career opportunities in the field of historic preservation and battlefield preservation. The Kuhn Fellowships support student internship opportunities in museums, historical organizations, and cultural institutions in Washington, DC, and the Willen Internship in Civil War Medicine makes possible a student experience focused on the medical aspect of the American Civil War.

Alumni of the Funded Internship Program come away from their summer experiences with a greatly expanded awareness of the career options available to students with academic training in history and increased commitment to engaging public audiences in meaningful dialogue about the past. Many have gone on to enroll in graduate programs in history, public history, and historic preservation. Former interns have pursued graduate work at Oxford University, Columbia University, the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, West Virginia University, University of Massachusetts, UNC Greensboro, Simmons College, Duquesne University, Eastern Illinois University, American University, Middle Tennessee State University and more, and significant numbers have found full-time permanent employment in the field of public history. Many Funded Internship Program alumni are profiled on our Where Are They Now page.

Support the Brian C. Pohanka fellowship

Support the Gary W. Gallagher Internships

Brian Pohanka’s Legacy

Students on the Battlefield participating in a Pohanka workshop