Each year the PHMC hosts students interested in working in the field of Public History. Each Keystone Intern works directly with a PHMC staff member on a specific project. This year in collaboration with the other Bureaus of the PHMC we have established a blog series that highlights different aspects of the internship. This week’s blog is the introduction to that series.
Hello readers!
My name is Amanda Hinkel. This summer I am an intern for the Bureau for Historic Preservation at the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission (PHMC). PHMC is a public history agency located in Harrisburg Pennsylvania which includes Pennsylvania State Archives, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, State Historic Preservation Office, and Bureau of Historic Sites. Along with the bureau headquarters here in Harrisburg, there are historic sites and museums throughout the Commonwealth with PHMC internship opportunities as well. One example is the hard working interns at the Ephrata Cloister historic site in Lancaster County. They have been blogging about their unique experiences as Keystone Interns at Ephrata, so be sure to read about all their adventures!
Myself, along with 10 other Keystone Interns here in Harrisburg, are having a truly one of a kind summer intern experience so far. We are spread out between a plethora of program areas within PHMC; Historic Preservation, Museum Education, Collections Care and Management, Archeology, and Archives. For the past three months I have been working in the Bureau for Historic Preservation. I assisted in a multitude of projects including Allegheny National Forest file clean-up with GIS, preparing a National Register Nomination for Loleta Recreation Area in Elk County, designing an exhibit in conjunction with PennDOT and Archaeology, editing intern blog posts for the Keystone Intern blog, and tackling any other tasks that come my way.
Along with the daily tasks within our respective offices, we interns have also had the opportunity to attend field trips (such as the Capitol Dome Tour, Ephrata Cloister, and a behind the scenes tour in The State Museum) all coordinated by the Keystone Internship Program. Now I don’t want to give away all the great things we get to do as Keystone Interns, but this isn’t a running errands and getting coffee type of internship. I have been given the opportunity to become a real member of the PHMC team. We collaborate on projects that contribute to our offices’ fields. I have been able to analyze the field of Historic Preservation, an area I was previously unfamiliar with. Every day I work with professionals in the field that have become mentors for my future ambitions.
So stay tuned this summer/fall; we have created a Summer Intern Blog Series that highlights each intern through their daily activities, their thoughts on the internship, and an up close look at the exciting trips we will be attending. Each intern post will give the reader, whether you are a coworker, family, friend, or future intern, an in depth look into our program. If you are considering applying for the keystone summer internship, I highly recommend it! (You can find more information about the application process on the PHMC Internship website). We hope you will share our excitement, interest, and new found knowledge as we experience the intern life at PHMC.
