Are you interested in Honoring, Educating about, and Commemorating the Centennial of WWI? Do you have unique interests and skill sets that you can put to use with us? Would you like to join our team? Opportunities like this only come around once every 100 years!
The US World War I Centennial Commission was set up by Congress to provide opportunities to the people of the United States to learn about the history of World War I, the United States’ involvement in that war, and the war’s effects on the remainder of the 20th century, and to commemorate and honor the participation of the United States and its citizens in the war effort. [Pub. L. 112-272, Section 2(7), Jan. 14, 2013]
The World War I Centennial Commission is a largely volunteer-based organization. Our interns augment our small staff, becoming a crucial part of the Commission. This provides you with significant opportunities and a chance to contribute substantially to our organization. You can help us achieve our mission and we can provide you with great experiences to use in your professional life.
Our interns have the opportunity to work in several areas including:
Program management
Public affairs
Fundraising
Web & Technology
Click on the tabs above to explore these potential opportunities!
Additional Information:
Work Location: 1800 G St NW, Washington, DC 20006 (Only one block from the White House!) Type: Unpaid. Hours: We will work with your school and your schedule. When: We are accepting interns for next semester and for all semesters (summer, fall, winter, spring) through 2024.
Help us commemorate the centennial by working directly with project and program teams. Our projects and programs are at the core of our mission, actively promoting and supporting commemorative activity across the country. You can become an invaluable member of one of our program teams!
Programs:
As an intern, you will have the opportunity to explore our nation’s capital along with your fellow interns!
State and Local Outreach: Help build the centennial from the ground up! As a state outreach intern, you’ll help establish and support state-level commemorative bodies in all 50 states, the 5 territories, and the District of Columbia. You’ll design, develop, and implement tools and resources for state and local organizations to use during the centennial and will have the opportunity to interact with people and organizations across the country. This is your chance to make a lasting impact across the country! For more information on state and local outreach, visit ww1cc.org/state-outreach.
Veteran and Military Outreach: As a veteran and military outreach intern, you’ll help build valuable partnerships between the Commission and various veteran service organizations. You will help illustrate connections between past and present by conducting genealogical research that will be presented to important military and veterans service organization representatives. You will also assist with developing and distributing resources for veteran service organizations to use as they commemorate the war.
Duties: Work with a program team to research, coordinate, organize and implement a variety of program related activities. Assist in providing program analytic support while developing, maintaining, and enhancing relationships with a variety of stakeholders. Work with team members to schedule, manage, and track the on-time delivery of program tasks.
Qualifications and Skills: Basic computer and Microsoft Office skills; research capabilities; initiative; independence; strong organizational skills; meeting planning and scheduling capabilities; strong written and oral communication; knowledge of and interest in American history.
FUNDRAISING
Intern with us as a fundraising assistant!
We weren’t kidding about you being on the front lines for the Commission.
As a member of the fundraising team, you will be a vital part of virtually every aspect of the Commission’s inner workings. Because the Commission is a government commission with no public funding, it rely very heavily on private donations to our various projects. That being said, you will be providing support to the fundraising team with research on a variety of companies, including Fortune 500 ones. You will use a variety of sources, all the way from Google and LinkedIn to the Library of Congress and National Archives. You will then compile all of this information into briefs to be presented at meetings or even events. From your time in the fundraising team, you will gain valuable experience in the world of private donation and public outreach.
Duties: Work with the Development team. Conduct research on the internet, in the Library of Congress, and National Archives on WWI related subjects to compile fundraising briefs. Write short white papers on individuals and companies. Accurately track and record research activities. Occasionally present oral reports on findings. Attend planning meetings and attend events. Assist in letter writing campaigns. Work directly with development staff on all activities.
Qualifications and Skills: Basic computer and Microsoft Office skills; understanding of doing research on Internet, libraries, and archives; self-starter able to work independently; ability to multitask on various projects; strong organizational skills; strong communication skills: written and oral; knowledge of and interest in American history.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Intern with us as a public affairs assistant!
You will also take part in a biweekly scavenger hunt around D.C., putting your puzzle-solving skills to the test!
A typical day for a Public Affairs intern at the Commission can include any of the following:
Writing a story about an American hero of WWI
Visiting the Library of Congress to see its new exhibit on American Art during the war, so you can write a press release about it
Stopping by the National Archives to conduct research
Interviewing staff from the Commission and our partner organizations about new programs we will be releasing
Covering recent stories in the news related to WWI, and creating your own press releases about them for the Commission
As an intern at the Commission, you will also be expected to attend weekly staff meetings, assist staff with additional projects outside of your department, and collaborate with the other interns on a millennial marketing project of your own design. Many of your stories will be posted on the Commission’s website, providing you with the opportunity to showcase your published materials in future career endeavors.
Duties: Work with the Public Affairs team. Conduct historical research online, in the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. Write short essays and articles on WWI related topics including, among others, historical figures, memorials, science and technology. Peer-edit documents. Accurately track and record social media presence. Work with public affairs staff to establish new skills in the public affairs department. Assist in media related events and activities.
Qualifications and Skills: Basic computer and Microsoft Office skills; research capabilities; initiative; independence; strong organizational skills; strong written and oral communication; knowledge of and interest in American history; understanding of common social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; knowledge of/interest in expanding follower base through hashtag and other promotions.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
Intern with us in InfraTech
With each of the Smithsonian museums a short walk away, our interns have access to their many collections and archives!
The WWI centennial commemoration offers an opportunity for those with a passion for digital technology:
Web technologies
Media technologies,
Information technology,
Collaboration technology
Streaming media technology,
Blogging,
Graphic design,
Analytics.
Technology intersects and supports all of our programs and activities. As a small organization, with a really big mission, we need to use technology in creative and effective ways if we want to maximize the commemoration's reach and impact.
If you are skilled and interested in these areas, we'll apply your existing skills and know-how and we also train to support specific tasks.
Web and IT: Whether your into online graphics and design, UX Design, IT or Web technology you will join a small team that is building and supporting a sort of "digital community garden of WWI information", with each plot curated and operated by a growing number of publishing partners. We host, train and support this expanding network. It is a very exciting concept.
Digital Media Technology: We also produce an expanding number of digital media products. This includes virtual meetings, online event production, gallery creation, Twitch style webinar screencasts, online training, usability testing, video shooting, editing and streaming.
Duties: Work directly with the IT director and the program technologist on an enterprise-scale website supporting that is international in scope. Assist in the integration and publishing of articles, galleries, videos, external contributions, and more. Support webinars, screencasts and productions.
Qualifications and Skills: Basic computer skills and some experience with digital media/web required. Passion for online graphic and UX design, web tech, video, animation, gaming, etc. is a big plus. Basic understanding of Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc., as well as HTML and CSS is a big plus. Must be a self-starter, able to work independently and manage multiple tasks.
