Conservation Fellow

2023 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES INTERNSHIP PROGRAM POSITION DESCRIPTION

NPS Unit: Cowpens National Battlefield

Location: Gaffney, SC

Position Description

This position will assist National Park Service (NPS) staff in preparing for the 250th anniversary ofthe signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. According to the former NPS DeputyDirector David Vela, this commemoration seeks to engage all people in a dialogue about ourcountry and "the ongoing efforts to form a more perfect union.” Nevertheless, the park's traditionalinterpretive programs, website, and social media posts do not adequately address the livedexperience of people of African descent and Native Americans at the Battle of Cowpens. TheConservation Fellow will develop interpretive content with a fresh analysis of existing sources,creativity, and historical thinking. In addition, the Fellow will collaborate with stakeholders andconsult with the Tribal Nations and groups representing the interests of people of African descent. The final project will be an interpretive program that will be presented to visitors and staff. Theprogram will be recorded and uploaded to the park's official website and social media accounts. Inpreparation for this program, the Conservation Fellow's research will contribute to the developmentof website articles, social media posts, and reference documents for staff. In sum, the Fellow willplay an important role in reevaluating existing interpretive content, developing new interpretiveproducts, and laying the foundation for future projects.

Tasks

Cowpens National Battlefield is one unit within a group of parks associated with protecting andcommemorating the history associated with the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution,which also includes Kings Mountain National Military Park, Ninety Six National Historic Site, and theOvermountain Victory National Historic Trail. A primary goal in our planning to commemorate the250th anniversary of the American Revolution is to provide relevant and honest interpretation ofuntold and underrepresented stories, in order to educate all Americans on the diversity of the manydifferent people who are part of this history. The Historically Black Colleges and UniversitiesInternship Program provides an opportunity to help the parks work towards achieving this goal ofintroducing new stories and updating the narratives on the stories that are currently interpreted, inalignment with our ongoing planning efforts. The work performed by the Fellow will directlycontribute to outreach and research efforts to reveal new stories, which is in alignment with theparks' ongoing strategic planning effort.The Conservation Fellow will be empowered to research and analyze primary sources andsecondary sources, perform outreach to identify new sources of information, collaborate withstakeholders and consult with the Tribal Nations and groups representing the interests of people ofAfrican descent. In collaboration with the park's staff, the Conservation Fellow will assess the statusof our existing interpretive content related to people of African descent and Native Americans at theBattlefield. After an assessment of this content, the Fellow will offer their perspective and write alist of recommendations to improve the site's interpretive content. These recommendations mayinclude changes to the park's website, temporary visitor center exhibits, use of technology, andmore. In preparation for the presentation of an interpretive program, the Conservation Fellow will berequired to make one Facebook post per week. Facebook posts will be due starting on the thirdweek of their internship. These posts will incorporate relevant interpretive themes, the Fellow'sinterest, and research. At the fifth week of the program, the Fellow will be instructed to draft anarticle related to their research for the park's official website. This article will be researched, written,designed, and uploaded to the park's website by the Fellow. The final project will consist of writing an interpretive outline for a program and presenting theprogram to visitors and staff. The program will be approximately 30 to 45 minutes in length. TheFellow will develop the program by following the National Park Service's best practices andstandards for interpretation. It will incorporate the park's interpretive themes, and use tangible,intangible, and universal concepts. The Fellow's presentation will be offered by the eighth week ofthe internship. It will be presented to visitors of various ages and demographics. The finalpresentation will be filmed for use on the park's website and social media accounts. Lastly, the LeadPark Ranger will formally "audit” the program by attending a presentation and providing the Fellowwith constructive feedback. In researching, writing, and communicating about the lived experience of people of African descentand Native Americans at the Battle of Cowpens, the Conservation Fellow will be creating a legacyproject that will benefit future staff and enhance the visitor experience.

Learning Goals

In creating an interpretive program about people of African descent and Native Americans at theBattle of Cowpens, this position will foster the Conservation Fellow's skills in leadership andproblem-solving. Indeed, the Fellow will identify opportunities for interpretation, think of ways tocommunicate complex historical content, and lead in the creation of new programs and resources. The Conservation Fellow will be empowered to research and analyze primary sources andsecondary sources, perform outreach to identify new sources of information, collaborate withstakeholders and consult with the Tribal Nations and groups representing the interests of people ofAfrican descent. Currently, there is a limited number of sources that provide insight into the AfricanAmerican and Native American experience at the Battle of Cowpens. The Fellow will be challengedto use existing primary sources and secondary sources to produce interpretive products andpropose the acquisition of additional research materials based on their findings and needs.Additionally, the Fellow will be introduced to the importance of stakeholder outreach andconsultation with subject matter experts who represent the interests of the people whom theresearch is based upon, and the process for such engagement. The Fellow will receive training and instruction regarding use of the park's Content ManagementSystem (CMS), social media, and Section 508 policies regarding accessibility. The Fellow will takethe Content Management System 101 Lessons training on the National Park Service's DigitalCommunity website. This training will prepare the Fellow to create, design, and upload articles forthe park's official website. The Fellow will be taught to write Facebook posts by training with staffand reading relevant documents such as the park's Social Media Strategy and social media postguidelines. The Fellow will be challenged to write in a concise and compelling manner. The Fellowwill operate a digital camera and learn to take usable photographs for the park's website and socialmedia accounts. They will also learn the importance of understanding the difference between usingpublic domain and copywritten images. Lastly, the Fellow will learn about Section 508 policy andassist in developing an audio-described version of their interpretive program. The Fellow will receive resources and training regarding the creation of interpretive programs in theNational Park Service. Reference material will include Meaningful Interpretation: How to ConnectHearts and Minds to Places, Objects, and Other Resources by David L. Larsen, PersonalInterpretation: Connecting Your Audience to Heritage Resources by Tim Merriman, Interpreting OurHeritage by Freeman Tilden, and more. The Fellow will also take the ProValens online learningcourse entitled: Foundations of Interpretation. This material will prepare the fellow to write andpresent an interpretive program to visitors and staff before the conclusion of the internship.

Qualifications: Applicants need to be currently enrolled in a college or university working towards anundergraduate or graduate degree. Majors can include but are not limited to History, Education,Environmental Sciences, Parks and Recreation, Social Sciences, Public History or Museum Studies.Skills include a thorough knowledge of interpretive principles, practices, techniques, and themes toconvey, connect, and facilitate a wide variety of shared learning experiences with diverseaudiences; ability to develop and present a wide variety of interpretive experiences to in-person andvirtual audiences using fully-developed interpretive skills, techniques, and tools; and ability todesign various types of interpretive experiences with purposeful focus and cohesion that addressthe strategic goals and objectives of park interpretation. Knowledge of the resources and historyassociated with this project (people of African descent, Indigenous peoples, etc). Ability to developand/or present interpretive content that meets all appropriate standards, requirements, designprinciples, and laws (e.g., Section 508 and NPS Accessibility Standards). Ability to write coherentand concise reports, letters, and other materials in forms and formats appropriate for purposes ofspecific documents. Ability to effectively communicate orally with a variety of audiences in order topresent ideas and information that increase understanding of NPS programs, policies, andobjectives. Ability to utilize computer programs and applications (e.g., word processing, databases,spreadsheets, and other software systems) for publishing content to websites and social mediasites. Must be able to apply computer skills in the operation of various automated systems anddatabases. Ability to perform stakeholder outreach and collaborate with subject matter experts.Willingness to expand network, interact with a variety of audiences, and openness to new ideas.

Diversity And Inclusion

The staff at Cowpens National Battlefield fully supports employee participation in training that alignswith service wide EEO and Diversity goals beyond the annual requirements (such as bystanderawareness, conflict management, etc.). In fiscal year 2022, all park staff and leadership completedcivil treatment training, as well as training through Espyr on the topics of "dealing with difficultpeople; the power of positivity, managing generations, and mental health in the workplace”. Parkleadership and park staff foster a work environment that focuses on team building, mutual respect,and open communication. And, park leadership emphasize special programs, training opportunitiesand important information by highlighting and re-disseminating relevant messages to park staff thatare provided by regional and service wide emails to ensure that everyone has full awareness ofopportunities that exist.The staff at Cowpens National Battlefield is excited by the opportunity to host a HBCUIConservation Fellow. This internship will be a key element in a multi-faceted approach to dedicatethe park to values of inclusion and diversity. In addition to this internship, park staff is currentlyseeking professional development opportunities and grants to reflect these values in ourinterpretive services. Our staff hopes this internship may become a long-lasting feature at the park.Indeed, we aim to not simply tell the stories of people of African descent and Native Americans in asingle interpretive program. As writer James Baldwin once said: "History, as nearly no one seems toknow, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to thepast. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, areunconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. Itcould scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, ouridentities, and our aspirations.” In hosting this internship, we hope to take a meaningful steptoward improving our park's ability for all people to create meaning at Cowpens National Battlefield.