Allen Cooper is interviewed by Steve Davis in Indianola, Mississippi, September 2008. (photo by Sarah Eiland)
SPOHP Internships
This is a great time to complete an internship with SPOHP. We are taking our program in new directions and seeking dedicated students to help us reach our goals.
Since its 1967 inception by Dr. Samuel Proctor, SPOHP has been a leading repository of oral histories in the South, having more than 4,000 interviews within its collection. Members of SPOHP have conducted countless conversations with political, business, and environmental leaders, as well as military veterans, Native Americans, Civil Rights activists, and University of Florida personalities.
We are expanding our community outreach by producing public programs, digitizing our collection, and offering seminars and workshops. In addition to our quarterly newsletter, we constantly update our website and provide the opportunity for researchers to download podcasts of selected interviews.
Each semester, SPOHP offers internship opportunities. Listed below are some of the areas interns can contribute to and gain experience from SPOHP. We are also open to other ideas and possibilities.
Students can set up a flexible 6-hour-per week schedule in conjunction with Dr. Ortiz. Throughout this semester-long internship, interns will be taught how the program operates, the intricacies of conducting an interview, transcribing and audit-editing skills, and, in general, the importance of oral history as a scholarly tool. Interviews make up the heart of our program, and understanding their value firsthand is critical. For this reason, all interns will participate in the interview process at some level, regardless of their area of specialization. This experience is meant to benefit students and assist them in future graduate work or chosen professions.
ORAL HISTORY BASICS
- Transcribing
- Audit-editing
- Summarizing
- Researching
- Composing thought-provoking and historically relevant questions
- Interviewing
COMMUNICATIONS
- Writing articles for SPOHP’s quarterly online newsletter, History Speaks
- Writing press releases for notable events
- Assisting with website maintenance
- Database entry for contacts and project logs using Access
DIGITIZING
- Digitizing tapes
- Scanning documents
- Format migration
PODCASTING
- Researching topics, isolating key content
- Recording, editing audio
- Blog development
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
- Event planning
- Designing PR materials
- Assisting with video production
Students may earn academic credit for internships. To sign up for an internship with our program, contact the History Department to register for HIS 4944. Community members, as well as undergraduates and graduate students, are invited to apply for internships and volunteer opportunities.
Previous Interns and Their Projects
2008
- Sarah MacNamara – Ethnic Groups in Ybor City, Florida (YBOR)
Recipient of the Senior Seminar Research Award and the
2009 Multicultural Research Award - Mark Koski – Researcher for various projects
2007
- Allison Lalonde - Florida Women Police Officers (WP)
- Johanna Hanson - Florida Auto Racing (AUTO)
2005
- Matthew McKenzie - Civil Rights Movement in St. Augustine, FL (SACR)
- Genevieve Shurack - Florida Comprenhesive Assessment Test (FCAT)
- Nancy Tran - Vietnamese in Florida (VAF)
Current interns listed on the About SPOHP page
