Park & Recreation Aide - Enslavement to Freedom History Fellowship - State Parks

Park & Recreation Aide 4-7 - Enslavement to Freedom History Fellowship - New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation

Join to apply for the Park & Recreation Aide 4-7 - Enslavement to Freedom History Fellowship - New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation role at New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.

$19.00/hr – $24.00/hr

The Our Whole History Enslavement to Freedom History Fellow will conduct research and advance scholarship related to the Enslavement to Freedom initiative. The Our Whole History (OWH) initiative of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) seeks to reveal and share historically‑undertold stories of ordinary and extraordinary people and events across New York State.

Falling under the umbrella of the Our Whole History initiative is Enslavement to Freedom 1627–1827–2027 (E2F), a landmark, multi‑year public education and commemoration project that shines a light on New York State’s deeply undertold history of slavery and its enduring legacy. The goals of the Enslavement to Freedom project are to expand the narratives of historic sites by taking a deeper look into this history and its impact on later historic movements by developing exhibits, public programs, and other educational resources.

This fellowship is funded by a suballocation to OPRHP from the NYS Department of State acting on behalf of the NYS African American History Commission with the express intent to advance the knowledge of and access to historic material and artifacts related to the presence of Africans and their descendants in the history of New York State.

• Support research, writing, and interpretive projects focusing on the history of Black people in New York State. This fellowship offers hands‑on experience in scholarly research, public history, museum practice, and cultural heritage interpretation, contributing directly to exhibitions, publications, and educational initiatives.

• Conducting primary and secondary source research on African American history in New York from the 17th century to the 20th century on topics as assigned by the Interpreter of African American History and culture.
• Transcribing and annotating historical documents and oral history materials.
• Writing both long‑form and short‑form content, including interpretive text, blog posts, exhibit labels, and public‑facing summaries.
• Assisting with the development of exhibitions, including object research and narrative framing.
• Collaborating with staff on programmatic initiatives that highlight African American history and heritage.
• Maintaining organized research files and documentation for project archives.

Supervision and training will be given in all of the above tasks.

No minimum qualifications specified by Civil Service.

• Experience with transcription of historical documents or oral histories.
• Strong knowledge of New York State history and African American history.
• Experience working with digital research tools, archives, or collections databases.
• Prior experience in museums, archives, cultural institutions, or community‑based history projects.

• Suny student currently enrolled as a senior in an undergraduate program or enrolled in a graduate or doctoral program in African American, New York, United States History or related fields such as History, Anthropology, American Studies, Art History, Museum Studies, Public History, Africana Studies, Historic Preservation, Education, Political Science, among others.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license that allows the candidate to legally operate a motor vehicle in New York State as a term and condition of employment.
• Strong research skills, including the ability to analyze and synthesize primary and secondary sources.
• Excellent organizational, writing, proofreading, and editing skills with demonstrated ability to produce content for both scholarly and public audiences.
• Strong verbal communication skills.
• Ability to problem solve, work independently, and interact with a wide audience range with a focus of service on concurrent projects.
• Ability to perform medium to heavy physical labor, including medium‑heavy lifting and using step ladders.

• This position is anticipated for the Spring and Summer Semesters with the possibility to continue during the Fall Semester.

This position has the option to join the NYS Employee’s Retirement System and may be eligible for health insurance, dental and vision coverage as well as the opportunity for paid time off in the form of vacation, sick, personal and holiday leave after time and service requirements have been met.

• Internship

• Full‑time

• Other

• Government Administration