This post is by Stacie Moats of the Library of Congress.
“Being a TPS intern at the Library of Congress felt like a dream come true and I never wanted to leave. I learned so much about myself, the workings of a library, and from the amazing people that work there! I cannot recommend this internship enough!” Elizabeth Dobrzynski, Spring 2023 TPS intern
Do you know any current undergraduate or graduate students—or recent college graduates—in education, library science, history, or museum studies? Would they like to gain work experience by exploring educational resources, applying learning strategies, and connecting through partnerships? If so, please encourage them to apply for a Spring 2024 Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Internship with the Library of Congress! Applications will be accepted through November 3. Visit the Library’s website for details.
TPS internships are stipended opportunities for qualified individuals interested in working with the Library’s digitized primary sources to develop educational materials for learners ages 9+, their families, and K-12 teachers. Successful candidates will have academic, volunteer, or professional experience in related fields and demonstrate a collaborative approach.
Whether remote or onsite, TPS interns will engage with Library staff, TPS Consortium members and more than 14,000 educators belonging to the TPS Teachers Network. A key component of the TPS Internship Program is researching and sharing content about new discoveries and reflections, culminating in a special project. Additionally, the onsite TPS intern will support the Library’s in-person programming for young visitors ages 9+ and their families by developing an onsite component based on their research.
During the Spring 2023 semester, TPS interns Mara Gregory and Elizabeth Dobrzynski pursued different research interests while supporting each other’s learning centered on the value of primary sources in education.
As the remote TPS intern, Mara focused her research on the Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America Project, developing a teaching resource that explores connections among language, identity, and cultural heritage. After working closely with Library staff and partnering with a TPS Consortium member, she notes, “I’ve discovered new ways to apply my prior knowledge and skills in the library and cultural heritage field.” Mara explains, “I stayed connected to Library staff and the TPS community through virtual meetings and conversations, but I also had plenty of time to pursue in-depth research in the Library’s digital collections.”
Elizabeth brought an elementary education background to her onsite TPS internship and wanted to learn more primary source-based teaching strategies for a classroom teaching career. She created and piloted a Primary Source Puzzle Box that invites young Library visitors and their families to take a trip through research. Her related teacher resource similarly challenges students do their own research about traveling and features maps, photos, and more from the Library’s digital collections. Like Mara, Elizabeth credits valuable feedback from Library and TPS Consortium mentors with informing her research project and professional growth. Both Mara and Elizabeth strongly encourage others to apply to the TPS Internship Program.
Celia Roskin, whose past blog posts outlining ELA, math, and science activities resulted from her TPS internship research on the 1918 – 1919 Spanish Influenza Pandemic in relation to COVID-19, says, “This internship not only showed me the importance of effectively using primary sources in the classroom, but it helped solidify my future professional goals…I can’t recommend this internship enough!”
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