history research volunteer

• Women's History
• African American History
• Collections

Volunteer Program

There are many ways to get involved and volunteer at the National Museum of American History, both on the museum floor and behind the scenes. To learn more about each of our volunteer programs, their application processes, and their training processes, please see the short descriptions below and then visit their individual pages.

For information about other volunteer programs at the Smithsonian Institution, check out Opportunities for Volunteer Service .  

The Smithsonian is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

Docents support the museum’s collections, research, and exhibitions by staffing interactive carts, assisting visitors in exhibitions, giving highlights tours, and facilitating hands-on activities.

Museum Ambassadors

Museum Ambassadors help people get the most out of their visits by welcoming groups, circulating throughout the Museum’s public zones to answer questions, and directing visitors to programs and exhibitions of interest.

Behind-the-Scenes Volunteers

Behind-the-Scenes Volunteers provide assistance to Smithsonian staff by contributing their time and expertise to specific areas of study within the Institution. Volunteers in this program work with staff members on both short-term and long-term projects. Opportunities are generally available in archives, libraries, administrative offices, conservation laboratories, and curatorial divisions related to history.

Volunteer Information Specialists

Managed centrally through the Smtihsonian’s Office of Visitor Services, Volunteer Information Specialists provide information services to visitors at Museum information desks or to persons telephoning the Institution for assistance.  In addition to welcoming visitors, museum desk volunteers provide a broad range of information about the Smithsonian—its exhibitions, activities, and services—and general information on other popular attractions in Washington, D.C. Telephone information volunteers respond to inquiries pertaining to the full range of Smithsonian activities, forward calls to offices or staff members as appropriate, and fulfill a variety of requests for printed information.

Spark!Lab Ambassadors

Spark!Lab Ambassadors work with Museum visitors in  Spark!Lab , a hands-on invention space for children and families.

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Volunteer with the smithsonian.

Smithsonian volunteers play essential roles in sharing our rich collections, exhibitions, research, and educational programming with the public. We are always on the lookout for dynamic, curious individuals who want to be a part of the Smithsonian team. Each year, more than 6,000 volunteers work onsite at our facilities and another 7,500 participate in projects online.

Volunteering at the Smithsonian

- [Narrator] Would you like to operate a panda cam, lead museum tours, or help restore historic spacecraft?

Become a volunteer at the largest museum, education, and research complex in the world, the Smithsonian Institution.

Volunteering has been an essential part of the Smithsonian's mission since the Institution was established in 1846.

In fact, the Smithsonian began with a selfless act of philanthropy when British scientist, James Smithson, left his estate to the United States government to create "an establishment for the increase "and diffusion of knowledge."

In 1855, workers completed the first Smithsonian Institution building, what we refer to today as the Castle on the National Mall.

Over the course over the next 160 years, the Smithsonian continued to expand, adding museums, galleries, research centers, and even a zoo.

2016 saw our most recent addition, the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

From the beginning, our volunteers have helped us accomplish amazing things.

The Smithsonian's first volunteers were 600 citizen scientists who provided monthly weather reports from North and South America during the 1850s.

Soon after, volunteers across the country collected plants, animals, and minerals, essentially crowdsourcing the Smithsonian's early natural history collections, some of which are still on display today. Years later, volunteers helped track satellites during the early days of the Space Race.

Today, the Smithsonian has over 13,000 volunteers. That's twice the number of employees. There are countless volunteer opportunities in nearly every one of the Smithsonian's 19 museums, 12 gardens, nine research centers, and the National Zoo. For example, volunteers conserve our collections, maintain our gardens, feed hungry tarantulas, and much, much more.

Oh, and did we mention that volunteers receive great benefits? Well, they do, such as discounts at Smithsonian museum stores, free IMAX tickets, and access to our libraries. Applying to become a Smithsonian volunteer couldn't be easier.

Interested candidates need to complete an online application and undergo a routine background check.

You're then invited to explore our many volunteer opportunities and discover the right one for you.

So, what are you waiting for?

Become part of a long and proud tradition of service.

Join our team today.

We invite you to explore our many volunteer opportunities, and to discover the right one for you.

Current volunteer openings

Use the links below to view a list of our current volunteer opportunities and to find the online application. Current volunteers and applicants may log in to their profile to apply for additional opportunities, see their schedules, and more.

Volunteer Opportunities

Current Volunteer Login

Engage with Smithsonian visitors!

You can share your knowledge and love of learning with visitors to Smithsonian museums and the zoo. With guidance from staff experts, our more than volunteers advise trip planners, lead tours, give gallery talks, offer fun hands-on experiences, and more. You’ll meet people of all ages from across the U.S. and around the world and help them make memories of a lifetime.

Consider which roles and locations might fit your interests.

• Discovery Stations (Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center)
• Docent Programs (Smithsonian museums)
• Education and Outreach (Natural History Museum)
• Education Volunteer Program (Zoo)
• Event Monitor Program (Smithsonian Associates)
• Museum Information Desk Program
• Public Programs (Postal Museum)
• Smithsonian Call Center (Castle)
• Visitor Services Program (Air & Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center)
• Visitor Services Volunteer Program (National Museum of African American History and Culture)

Prefer to contribute behind-the-scenes?

Smithsonian volunteers can serve in many important, non-public roles, working onsite at one of our facilities or even online from home. Join our staff in caring for collections, collecting research data, program administration, and other critical functions.

• Behind-the-Scenes (Smithsonian Museums)
• Citizen Science
• Digital Volunteers
• Office Volunteers (Smithsonian Associates)
• Special Events and Zoo Support (Zoo)

Short-Term/Seasonal

Spark the interest of people from all over the world by participating in short-term seasonal opportunities.

• Folklife Festival
• Smithsonian Gardens
• Behind-the-Scenes
• Smithsonian Call Center
• Visitor Information Specialist
• Docent Programs
• Work with Us

Volunteer Openings

Oral History Volunteer Opportunities

Retired staff members Suzanne Abel and Nancy Mancini worked on the John W. Gardner Legacy Oral History Project.

Stanford alum James Hanley interviewed Reverend David Schilling for the Movement Oral History Project.

Stanford history students conducted interviews for the Pioneering Women Oral History Project for Professor Estelle Freedman's course.

The success of the Oral History Program depends upon the time and passion contributed by dozens of Stanford-affiliated volunteer interviewers, editors, and curators. Oral history volunteers enjoy intellectual engagement, camaraderie, and the chance to make a lasting contribution to the historical record.  

Volunteer roles include:

• Interviewer.   Prepare for and conduct recorded oral history interview sessions.  Preparation work includes establishing a rapport with the interviewee, ensuring informed consent, conducting background research, developing a topic outline, and designing interview questions and flow.  Interviewers assist with post-interview processing by reviewing the initial transcript once it is returned from the transcription vendor.
• Editor/Writer.   Help to move oral history projects to completion by assisting with transcript proofreading and editing and writing abstracts and topics lists.
• Collection Curator.   Identify highlights and key passages from oral history interviews to increase collection use and accessibility.
• Videographer.   Work with interviewers to record selected interview sessions.
• Audio and Video Editor.   Use video and sound editing software to select excerpts from oral history interviews for use in exhibits and program outreach.

Required training is provided free of charge.  All volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have graduated from high school, and have a Stanford affiliation. If you have an interest in understanding and preserving the history of Stanford, consider joining our dedicated team.

To apply, please send an email explaining your interest in the program along with your resume or a short bio to  [email protected] .

Oral History Interviewers

The society is seeking volunteer interviewers to assist with various oral history interview projects.  Volunteers must complete a required training program.

Responsibilities: Primary tasks include substantial advance preparation work, conducting the recorded interview sessions, and assisting with interview post-processing. Preparation work involves establishing a rapport with the interviewee, ensuring informed consent, conducting background research, developing a topic outline in conjunction with interviewee, and designing interview questions and flow.  Post-processing work involves completing a post-interview report, drafting an abstract of the interview, and conducting a light edit on the initial transcript once it is returned from the transcription vendor. Total time spent on an oral history interview varies, but generally interviewers spend 5-8 hours on research, 2-4 hours on interviewing, and 8-10 hours on editing transcripts.

Required Skills / Experience:

• Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• A passion for history, especially Stanford history or the history of a specific academic discipline.
• Proximity to Stanford and some weekday and daytime availability are required.
• Previous historical research or interviewing experience is preferred.
• Interviewers who feel comfortable discussing science and engineering are especially needed.
• Stanford affiliation (e.g. alumni, Stanford students, current or retired staff or faculty or their family members)

Support:   SHS staff provide required training on all aspects of conducting oral histories.  Staff work closely with interviewers to provide individualized support and guidance on each interview project.  

Oral History Editors and Writers

The society is seeking skilled writers and editors to assist with the post-interview production process for various oral history projects.

Responsibilities:   Tasks include reviewing and editing interview transcripts for readability, drafting biographies and interview abstracts, proofreading, indexing, and compiling processed transcripts with companion pieces for publishing. Total time spent on each project varies, but it generally ranges from 2 to 10 hours. A volunteer may choose to help with a specific post-production task or undertake all of the post-production work for a specific oral history.

Required Skills/ Experience:

• Interest in Stanford history, storytelling, and narrative.
• Excellent proofreading, writing, and editing skills.
• Careful attention to detail and the willingness to work with a style guide.
• Familiarity with and access to Microsoft Word.
• Ability to receive and send transcript files via email and to listen to audio mp3 files via iTunes or other software.
• Proximity to Stanford is not necessary although we very much like to meet our volunteers.

Support: Program staff will provide required training to familiarize volunteers with oral history editing and style conventions and offer ongoing support.

Oral History Audio and Video Editors

In order to further promote the use and dissemination of Stanford oral histories, we are seeking audio and video editors to produce audio/video highlight clips and audio/photo montage slide shows from our oral history interview recordings. These highlight clips will be posted on the Historical Society website and social media pages and used in historical exhibits.

Responsibilities: Tasks include reviewing transcripts and raw recordings for selections, editing the raw recordings, and formatting the selections for online posting. Total time spent on a project varies but in general ranges from 2 to 8 hours.

Required Skills/Experience:

• Experience in manipulating and editing popular audio and video file formats and working with a video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro or iMovie.
• Familiarity with photo editing for the web.
• Access to audio and video editing software and the ability to download and upload files electronically.

Support: Society staff will provide training and direction in identifying highlights and ongoing support.

Volunteering

Join us in our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide!

The work of our international team helps millions of people around the globe learn about history every single month, entirely free of charge. Your work will help students, teachers and the general public appreciate cultural heritage, widen their horizons and enable them to better understand the globalized world we live in today.

If you don't see a position that fits your skills below but you still wish to volunteer, please feel free to contact us by email. We are always looking for volunteers! We also offer internship opportunities.

Reach Millions

Your work will reach millions of people every month. It will have a real impact on the world's learning and understanding of history.

International Team

You'll be part of a highly international group with people from all over the world. We're a friendly team with a passion for history.

Gain Experience

You will work at the cutting edge of online publishing, with an experienced team of editors, writers, graphic designers and technologists.

Our Openings

Social media editor (tumblr), social media editor (twitter / x).

Become a Volunteer Archivist

I want to volunteer. How can I help?

We need your help! Whether or not you have professional skills in libraries and archives, all people are welcome. Depending on your time commitment and interests, we can train you and help you find the right project. Most archival work is solo, even though we are a team and support each other. Lots of archiving is onsite work–meeting with donors, organizing documents, scanning items and doing research. Other tasks can be done remotely–correspondence with donors, online research and cataloging and reviewing digitized materials.

What positions are available?

Archivists wear a lot of different hats and any single project has different needs. RHP needs volunteers that can work in any or all of these areas:

• Acquisitions curators. Do you want to work with donors to bring in materials, get the legal paperwork in order and set up initial finding aids? Can you identify new collecting opportunities and sources for records we should preserve?
• Catalogers. Do you want to work from home creating records in our online catalog ? Can you upload newly scanned documents, do a bit of research and describe the documents? Can you help our research get found by online researchers?
• Digitization specialists. Do you have time to help us get our analog materials digitized and shared online? Can you scan paper materials from the archives? Work with vendors on our Audio-Visual collections?
• Processing archivists. Do you want to organize physical materials? Write the descriptions of what we received? Do the research to contextualize a collection? Work to transfer our materials to permanent storage at the DC History Center?
• Reference researchers. Do you like to read the materials, investigate for more information and write up content to help disseminate the collection? Do you want to help the general public with their research projects?

What projects could I work on?

The majority of our projects live in “partially complete” status, looking for someone who wants to get involved and improve their state. Other projects are “wish lists” that we would love to work on but don’t have the team or finances to complete. Projects advance because a volunteer has time and desire to develop it! If you have an idea, let us know. Some of our goals include:

• Periodicals research . We have more than 40 different titles of magazines, pamphlets, and periodicals . Can you research a title to write a description of its publication history, review which issues we are missing and improve our indexes? Help us do outreach to the community to find missing issues or new titles?
• Special project outreach. Often we obtain something that inspires us to do a special project of identifying more people who could explain it, donate more items and record an oral history. For instance, we have a poster of a March 2006 Drag Kings event at Club Chaos. We need someone to identify the 13 Kings on the poster and find them: Will they do an oral history interview? Do they have materials to donate? Do they have other contacts they can introduce us to?
• Finding aids . Collections are described in a finding aid that explains the collection, its origins and contents. A finding aid helps to navigate a collection in the same way that a table of contents and an index help to navigate a book. Most finding aids include the titles of the folders and not descriptions of a folder’s contents. These draft guides always need improvement. Review our Guide to Finding Aids to decide where to begin.
• Cataloging in Omeka . Have you learned to use the Omeka platform for online collections and exhibits? We describe our holdings and make scans available but constantly are improving our catalog entries. We even need to create collection-level records for some of our holdings. See “ RHP Catalog record in Omeka ” or “ How to Upload to Omeka ” for examples.
• Processing backlog . Lots of our collections are “partially processed” and need someone to visit the physical archive at the DC History Center and work with the materials to transfer them to proper housing, type up inventories, describe the contents and identify materials for scanning for the online catalog. Review the processing control sheet and then reach out.

What qualifications do I need?

Anyone who shows up and has the desire to assist is welcome. If you don’t already have training or background in archival work (at any level), you are still welcome and we will need to train you. Training is one-on-one and free of charge. It is a time commitment for our all-volunteer team, so you will need to be up front about how much time and dedication you can donate. If you are interested in conducting research for your own project, you do not need archives training. If you are interested in doing an internship or practicum you are welcome. If you are interested in volunteering during the work day, after hours or on weekends, all schedules are welcome–but some projects need specific onsite access or coordination to meet with others. Please email [email protected] and describe what background and interests you have, what amount of time you can commit and which of the projects or positions you’d like to fill.

What is an ‘Activist Archivist’?

In 1970, historian Howard Zinn delivered a pivotal speech to the Society of American Archivists annual meeting encouraging Archivists to become Activists and to collect the stories of minorities and social movements that are not otherwise documented. In 2000, the lack of available archival resources for research into Washington’s LGBTQ history led to the founding of the Rainbow History Project. That spirit of being an LGBTQ activist is still very much alive in RHP and our work. Come be part of it!

What does RHP think about MPLP?

More Product Less Process is all about prioritizing our work and getting collections as available as resources allow. An all-volunteer, low-budget, community archives project is exactly that. Any and all efforts can improve things, so let’s use our time wisely and figure out how you can help!

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Volunteering

We've worked with volunteers for over 20 years, enlisting help on a wide range of tasks, from paper cataloguing and conservation to more recent online collaborations.

Find out more about volunteering at The National Archives and how we ensure it is an engaging, consistent and well-rounded experience.

Our approach

We have a wealth of experience working with volunteers and have enlisted help on a wide range of tasks over the years, from cataloguing to conservation.

Why volunteer

Whether you have a passion for history, want to improve your knowledge and skills, or simply want to get involved in something worthwhile, volunteering at The National Archives can help you to achieve your aim.

• Volunteer experiences
• Staff experiences
• Annual volunteer survey

Volunteering opportunities

The National Archives offers a combination of on site volunteering (at Kew), and remote and online collaboration projects.

• Remote opportunities
• On site opportunities

Completed volunteering projects

Read about past volunteering projects that have been completed here.

Volunteer handbook

How much time you give in your volunteering capacity depends on you: your role, your project and your availability

Santa Monica History Museum

discover.explore.experience

1350 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 / 310.395.2290

Volunteer The Power Behind your Museum!

The great energy and talent of our volunteers allows us to maintain the museum and fulfill our mission. They help at special events, digitizing photos, research and much, much more!

We greatly appreciate all the hard work, dedication and hours each and every one of them contributes to our success and to Keeping History Alive !

We love our volunteers!

If you have some free time and think one of our projects will be an enriching and rewarding experience for you and help contribute to our mission, we look forward to hearing from you !

We continually seek volunteers for the following projects:

Hours vary per project however most volunteers commit an average of three to six hours per week. Not sure if you can do the job? No worries, we’ll train you!

• Visitor & Event services
• Docent / Tours
• Photo digitization
• Administrative support
• Fundraising
• Oral History interviewer
• Special events
• And much more!

QUESTIONS? Call 310.395.2290 or email us at [email protected]

Volunteer Application

Your information, your background, volunteering details, your availability.

Thursday 2pm-5pm Friday Saturday Sunday  11am-5pm.

First Sunday Free Admission SMHM is a Museums For All partner museum.

General admission is $5.00.  Museum admission is always FREE for SMHM Members, Children (under 17), Seniors (65+), Students, Active Duty Military/Veterans & SNAP/EBT cardholders.

Consent to Terms

I agree to hold as absolutely confidential all privileged and/or sensitive information, which I may obtain directly or indirectly, concerning the "Museum", its guests, and staff (including employees and volunteers), I agree that my services are donated to the "Museum" without contemplation of compensation or future employment.

I certify that the answers given by me to the foregoing questions and statements are true, correct, and without omissions. I authorize the Santa Monica History Museum ("Museum") to investigate and/or verify the foregoing information and any other information which might assist it in determining my qualifications for volunteering. I release the "Museum" and my former employers and all others from liability from damage which may result from such investigation, if upon such investigation, anything contained in this application is found to be untrue. I further agree to comply with all policies and procedures, as well as safety practices in all areas of the "Museum" I understand that my volunteer status may be terminated at any time for failure to comply with policies and procedures of the "Museum," including those of the volunteer program; for absence without notification; for reasons of unsatisfactory attitude, work, personal appearance, and/or for any other circumstances which, in the judgment of the "Museum", would make my continued service as a volunteer contrary to their best interests.

ANY PERSON WHO GIVES FALSE INFORMATION WILL BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL FROM THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.

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Volunteer for American Ancestors/NEHGS

Why volunteer.

Volunteers assist the staff by working at the research library or from home. From library-based activities to digitization and transcription projects, the time you contribute helps us to educate, inspire, and connect people through family history. For more information on volunteer opportunities, please see below.

Volunteer Opportunities

Seeking volunteers who will help create content for  10MillionNames.org . Volunteers are needed to digitize images, which is done on-site at the American Ancestors Research Center in Boston, or as contributors to database projects, which can be done either on-site or from home. Volunteers work from handwritten or text documents, extracting information into a spreadsheet, or assist with proofreading the data. 10 Million Names team provides training; however, volunteers must possess a basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel. This is a great, “hands-on” way to learn the process of transferring printed material to the Internet. Students may inquire about internship opportunities.

Contact: Danielle Rose, 10 Million Names Volunteer Coordinator

The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center seeks volunteers interested in assisting with translation work (Yiddish, Hebrew, and German, primarily) and transcribing handwritten materials for our digital archives. Translation and transcription work can be done remotely. People with previous archival experience (either processing or using archival collections in research) can be considered for small processing projects.

Contact: Gabrielle Roth, Collections Management Archivist

Volunteers who have experience with online databases and can locate materials in the Research Center may assist patrons who are getting started with their research. This opportunity is best suited for those who are already familiar with the American Ancestors/NEHGS collections and can donate time on a regular basis, generally once a week.

Contact:  Library Patron Services Manager

Volunteers with computer skills are needed to help with a variety of cataloging and data entry tasks. Processing of new books is a regular task. Help is also needed with inventory and retrieval of books and journals from the library stacks. Certain tasks require some bending and lifting. For volunteers with a background in bookbinding, the conservation department is always in need of those with hand skills in repairing books and manuscripts.

Contact:  Library Collection Services Manager

Seeking volunteers who have proofreading, indexing, source-checking, photo research, book layout/design, or project management skills to assist with book publication projects. Here is your chance to take part in creating valuable new resources for the genealogical field.

Contact: Cécile Engeln, Assistant Publishing Director

Volunteers help create content for AmericanAncestors.org, with support from the Web team. Digitization of images, scanning, is done at the Boston location, but database projects can be done either onsite or from home. Volunteers work from handwritten or text documents, extracting information into a spreadsheet, or assist with proofreading the data. The Web team provides training; however, volunteers must possess a basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel. This is a great, “hands-on” way to learn the process of transferring printed material to the Internet. Students may inquire about internship opportunities.

Contact:  Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator

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In This Section

• Awards & Prizes
• Grants & Fellowships
• Past Recipients
• Awards & Fellowships Calendar

AHA Grants and Fellowships

Aha research grants.

Each year, the American Historical Association awards several research grants with the aim of advancing the study and exploration of history in a diverse number of subject areas. All grants are awarded in June and may be used anytime in the subsequent 15 months for expenses related to furthering research in progress. Grants may be used for travel to a library or archive; microfilming, photography, or photocopying; borrowing or access fees; and similar research expenses—a list of purposes that is meant to be merely illustrative, not exhaustive (other expenses, such as child care, can be included). The deadline for research grant applications is February 15 .

Eligibility: Only AHA members are eligible to apply for AHA research grants. Preference will be given to advanced doctoral students, nontenured faculty, and unaffiliated scholars and to those with specific research needs such as the completion of a project or discrete segment thereof. Please note: Within a five-year period, no individual is eligible to receive more than a combined total of $1,500 from all AHA research grants.

For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator .

Albert J. Beveridge Grant

The Albert J. Beveridge Grant for Research in the Western Hemisphere supports research in the history of the United States, Canada, and Latin America; individual grants do not exceed $1,000. See the list of past recipients .

Michael Kraus Research Grant

The Michael Kraus Research Grant in colonial American history, with particular reference to the intercultural aspects of American and European relations, offers cash awards of up to $800. See the list of past recipients .

LGBTQ History Research Grant

The LGBTQ History Research Grant offers grants of up to $500 for new and continuing research in LGBTQ history, available to scholars working in all temporal and geographic fields. past recipients .-->

Littleton-Griswold Grant

The Littleton-Griswold Grant offers grants of up to $1,000 for research in US legal history and in the general field of law and society, broadly defined. See the list of past recipients .

Bernadotte E. Schmitt Grant

The Bernadotte E. Schmitt Grant supports research in the history of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Individual grants will not exceed $1,500. See the list of past recipients .

Fellowships

Fellowships in aerospace history.

The Fellowships in Aerospace History , supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), annually fund research projects from six to nine months. Proposals of advanced research in history related to all aspects of aerospace, from the earliest human interest in flight to the present, are eligible, including cultural and intellectual history, economic history, history of law and public policy, and history of science, engineering, and management. The fellowships are open to applicants who hold a doctoral degree in history or a closely related field, or who are enrolled in and have completed all course work for a doctoral degree-granting program. Preference is given to applicants in early stages of their careers. NASA provides funds to the American Historical Association and to the History of Science Society to allow both associations to award fellowships. The stipend is $21,890 for each fellowship. Three fellowships are offered each academic year; applications will be entered into consideration for all three fellowships. See the list of past recipients .

Annual Meeting Grants

The AHA annual meeting is the largest gathering of historians from across the discipline, and it offers many opportunities to build a professional network, enhance teaching skills, learn about the latest research, and participate in discussions about issues affecting the discipline. The AHA offers the following grants and fellowships to help graduate students, early career, and un/underemployed historians to attend the annual meeting. Only members of the Association are eligible to apply.

Child Care Grants

The Association offers 10 grants of up to $250 to assist AHA members who have child-care costs during the meeting. The grants are intended to help offset the cost of child care, enabling attendees with dependent children to attend the meeting. History graduate students, early career historians, and contingent faculty are eligible; priority will go to those who are on the program.

AHA Council Annual Meeting Travel Grants

In 2015, the AHA Council established a fund to subsidize graduate student attendance at the AHA annual meeting and expanded the program to include un/underemployed historians in 2020. Applicants in any major or minor field of study, regardless of participation in the meeting program, will be considered. Grant amounts are recommended annually by the executive director based on the fund balance and range between $200–$400. Applications are accepted each fall. See the list of past recipients .

Jerry Bentley World History Travel Grants

The Jerry Bentley World History Travel Grants are awarded annually to support travel to the AHA annual meeting for graduate students who include world history among their major or minor fields of academic study. Grantees enrolled at a university in the state of Hawaii will receive twice the standard grant amount. Grant amounts are recommended annually by the executive director based on the fund balance and range between $200–$400. Applications are accepted each fall. See the list of past recipients .

Dorothy Rosenberg Phi Beta Kappa Annual Meeting Travel Grants

Established in 2013 at the bequest of Dorothy Rosenberg and in collaboration with the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Dorothy Rosenberg Phi Beta Kappa Annual Meeting Travel Grants are awarded annually to help defray travel expenses incurred by graduate students attending the annual meeting. Graduate student applicants in any major or minor field, regardless of participation in the meeting program, will be considered. Successful applicants will be awarded travel subsidies of up to $400 each. See the list of past recipients .

National Institute of Social Sciences Annual Meeting Travel Grants

Established in 2019 by the members of the National Institute of Social Sciences , the National Institute of Social Sciences Annual Meeting Travel Grants are awarded to help defray travel expenses incurred by graduate students attending the AHA annual meeting. Graduate student applicants in any major or minor field of history will be considered. Successful applicants will be awarded travel subsidies of up to $400 each. Preference will be given to graduate students participating in the meeting program. Applications are accepted each fall. See the list of past recipients .

James G. Stofer Annual Meeting Travel Grants

Established in 2022, the James G. Stofer Fund provides grants to support the participation of community college and public high school teachers in AHA activities and programs. Community college and public high school faculty applicants, who are members of the Association, will be considered for the Stofer Annual Meeting Travel Grants, regardless of participation in the program. Successful applicants will be awarded travel subsidies of up to $400 each. past recipients .-->

Special Grants

Aha-neh sharp grants.

The AHA’s Grants to Sustain and Advance the Work of Historical Organizations Program provides $2.5 million to support dozens of small history-related organizations adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants, ranging from $10,000 to $75,000, fund short-term projects that explore new ideas or build on experiments initiated during the pandemic—from virtual programming or online publications to using new technologies or expanding audiences and accessibility. We encourage proposals for both ambitious new initiatives as well as smaller projects that address problems that have arisen because of the pandemic.

Historians Relief Fund

To assist un/underemployed historians who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, the AHA has established $500 emergency grants that can be used to cover unexpected expenses related to this crisis. Only AHA members are eligible to apply.

History Research Environment

Towards the history of almost everything

HISTORY RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

Towards a history of almost anything

History Research Environment is an open source project to create a free platform-independent application for the serious amateur or professional historical researcher.

For genealogists, HRE will provide an onward path for users of the discontinued program The Master Genealogist (TMG) .

HRE will also handle a very wide range of other historical and cultural research needs.

All the latest project news

Read more News

Articles about HRE

Read more Articles

Screenshots

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Search Our Site

• Mission & Values
• Board of Directors
• Collaborations
• Search Databases
• Alvin J. Huss Archives
• Carl A. Weyerhaeuser Library
• FHS Archival Collections
• U.S. Forest Service Headquarters Collection
• Digital Exhibits
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• Sample Galleries-Old
• Annotated Guide
• Published Interviews
• Frequently Asked Questions
• American Prehistory: 8000 Years of Forest Management
• From Forest to Farm and Back Again
• Fueling the Fires of Industrialization
• From Arbor Day to Earth Day
• A New Profession Takes Seed
• From Forest to Farm to Urban Forest
• Trees in Your Own Backyard
• Living in a Global Forest
• Fire: Fight, Flight or Coexistence?
• The Significance of Private Forests in the US
• Behind the Scenes: Forest and Forest Production Research
• “The Greatest Good” Teaching Guide
• Lynn W. Day Distinguished Lectureship in Forest and Conservation History
• Blegen Article Award
• Collier Journalism Award
• Leopold-Hidy Article Award
• Weyerhaeuser Book Award
• Bell Travel Grants
• Rosenberry Graduate Fellowship
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• U.S. Forest Service History Books
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• Case Statement
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• Alvin J. Huss Endowment
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Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

Paid Internships

Thank you for your interest, but there are no paid internship opportunities available at this time. Please check back at a later date.

Unpaid Internships

Are you a graduate student in Library Science, Public History, Environmental Studies, or a related field? Interested graduate students can enhance their educational program of study with a wide variety of opportunities within a small research library setting. For more information about unpaid internships with the Forest History Society, please contact the Library Staff via email at [email protected] .

Internship opportunities include:

• Digitization
• Digital exhibit curation
• Archival processing
• Creating exhibits for our display area
• Blog and social media posting
• Assisting the Librarian and Archivist with special projects

Do you have a passion for nature and history? We are looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals to help with daily library and archives operations. Volunteering at the Forest History Society is a rewarding and fun experience, and a great way to combine those passions. FHS is a nonprofit library and archives located in Durham, North Carolina, that links the past to the future by identifying, collecting, preserving, interpreting, and disseminating information on the history of interactions between people, forests, and their related resources.

Volunteer opportunities include

• Checking in new books and journals
• Organizing records
• Scanning and Digitization
• Database entry
• Social media posting
• And much more…

To join our team of library-loving volunteers you should:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be available to volunteer at least 3 hours a week for at least 2–3 months.
• Have the ability to work alone or with others (other volunteers, staff, or patrons).

To help make a difference at the Forest History Society, please fill out this online form . You can also email us the form at [email protected] . Once you return the completed application, we will contact you and schedule an interview to discuss your interests and volunteer options.

• Join and Support

History: U.S. History

• Introduction
• African American History
• Tennessee History
• U.S. History
• World History

Learn more about United States history with these recommended resources. You can find articles in databases or use databases on issues in U.S. History . Books are always good resources for history research. Find books online and in the library. Watch a streaming video on U.S. history events and topics. Discover primary sources and digital collections with websites with U.S. history collections .

Find articles in databases

Use one or more of these databases to find articles on your history topic. All of these databases have scholarly articles, but ProQuest Research and US History have additional source types like magazines.

Books are an excellent resource for history research. Quickly determine if the book has what you need by using a print book's table of contents and index.

Find books online

• eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window Search this extensive eBook collection for your U.S. history topic

Find books in Thigpen Library

Browse the Thigpen Library shelves

• E51-73      Pre-Columbian America.
• E75-99      Indians of North America
• E101-135   Discovery of America and early explorations
• E184-185    Afro-Americans
• E186-199    Colonial history (1607-1775)
• E201-298    The Revolution, 1775-1783
• E300-453    Revolution to the Civil War, 1775/1783-1861
• E456-655    Civil War period, 1861-1865
• E660-738    Late nineteenth century, 1865-1900
• E740-837    Twentieth century
• E838-889    Later twentieth century, 1961-2000
• E895-904   Twenty-first century

Watch a streaming video

In the library's streaming video collections are documentaries on historical events and persons. The videos have transcripts that are searchable and take you quickly to any point in the video.

Issues in U.S. History

These library databases focus on specific issues in U.S. history.

These websites link you to other resources on issues in U.S. history.

Websites with U.S. History collections

These digital collections and websites have primary materials in U.S. history.

• Digital Collections - Library of Congress Explore U.S. history with the extensive digital collections of the Library of Congress. Find documents, images, sound recordings and videos from the early days to the modern era.
• Foreign Relations of the United States: Historical Documents The Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. U.S. Department of State: Office of the Historian
• National Archives Access primary records, photographs, and online exhibits.
• National Security Archive National Security Archive is an investigative journalism center, research institute on international affairs, library and archive of declassified U.S. documents, and leading non-profit user of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. The George Washington University
• NYPL Digital Collections Digitized items from the collections of the New York Public Library. The database has prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more. New materials are continually being added
• << Previous: Tennessee History
• Next: World History >>
• Last Updated: Jan 5, 2024 3:13 AM
• URL: https://libguides.volstate.edu/history

AI Study Needs Volunteers

Scientists at the Clinical Center are improving artificial intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostics with a research study on voice data. Healthy volunteers and people with a suspected diagnosis are invited to use a web-based application to take a brief questionnaire and submit voice samples. Play a vital role in developing new AI models that are safe and unbiased for health care. Take the brief voice survey now https://bit.ly/nihhearai . For questions, contact the CC Office of Patient Recruitment (866) 444-2214 (TTY users dial 711) or [email protected] . Refer to study #IRB001596.