Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Internship Program

• General Website: https://www.loc.gov/teachers
• Hosting Service Unit: Office of the Librarian
• Program Contact: Stacie Moats smoats@loc.gov
• Interests/Areas of Study: Education, library science, history, museum studies
• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen; Permanent Resident
• Application Period: Ongoing
• Compensation: • There are two TPS internship opportunities, one remote and one onsite, available per semester. The compensation for each internship is as follows: The remote TPS intern (20 hours per week) may be eligible to receive a monthly stipend of $500, only. The onsite TPS intern (35 hours per week), working in person on the Library’s Capitol Hill campus in Washington, DC, may be eligible to receive a monthly stipend of $750. Additionally, the onsite TPS intern may be eligible to receive $255 per month for local transportation, and up to $1,250 monthly to offset documented housing costs. If initially living outside of the Washington, DC metro area, the onsite TPS intern may be eligible to receive a travel allowance of up to $1,000 each way to help pay for personal travel to and from DC at the beginning and end of the internship.
• Academic Credit: The Library does not provide academic credit, but individual TPS interns may arrange to receive credit with their schools in advance.
• Available Benefits: • Library of Congress Internal Discounts
• Program Duration: Short-term. Fall and spring terms.
• Qualifications: The Library of Congress will select up to two TPS interns per semester through this notice, one remote and one working onsite, with the following qualifications: U.S. citizen or permanent resident; at least 18 years old at the start of the internship; undergraduate or graduate student of good standing, or a recent graduate (within six months); interest in working with and developing primary-source based materials for learners ages 9+, their families, and/or K-12 teachers. Successful candidates are likely to have academic, volunteer, or professional experience related to education, library science, history or museum studies, etc., targeted at learners ages 9+, their families, and/or K-12 teachers; and a collaborative approach conducive to working with colleagues to exchange ideas and strategies for augmenting learning and teaching with connections to Library resources.

Program Overview:

The Library’s Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program  is administered by the Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office. Through this program, the Library offers teaching materials, professional development, and partnership opportunities focused on the educational use the Library’s digitized primary sources.

The TPS Consortium is a nationwide network of partner organizations that delivers educational programming, and creates teaching materials and tools based on the Library’s digitized primary sources and other online resources. This work supports the Library’s mission to use its collections to connect with those representing diverse communities, beliefs, and endeavors to engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity.

The TPS Internship Program offers onsite and remote opportunities for interns to help Library staff and TPS Consortium members incorporate the Library’s collections of digitized primary sources into high-quality educational programming and materials. Interns will gain valuable, collaborative work experience by exploring educational resources, applying learning strategies, and connecting through partnerships. A key component of the TPS Internship Program is researching and contributing content about new discoveries and reflections to the TPS Teachers Network, culminating in a special project.

Whether remote or onsite, TPS interns will engage with TPS Consortium members and the more than 15,000 educators belonging to the TPS Teachers Network. In addition, 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.

TPS interns will:

• identify materials and learning strategies that use digitized Library resources to effectively support K-12 student and teacher audiences
• learn about the Library, its collections and programs
• help to plan and support primary source-based educational programming targeting K-12 student and teacher audiences
• design and implement a special project as described in the application materials
• conduct research and consult with Library experts to inform internship work
• share insights and engage in online discussions on the TPS Teachers Network
• (onsite only) engage young visitors ages 9+ and their families with primary source and collection-based activities

Schedule 

The onsite TPS intern will work up to 35 hours per week from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm, five days a week. One of these days must include Saturday. The Library is closed on Sunday.

The remote TPS intern will work 20 hours per week, Monday- Friday, and determine their actual work schedule with Library staff. The remote TPS intern must be able to work at least part of their weekly schedule between the hours of 9:30 am and 3:00 pm Eastern Time.

Application Notes:

How to Apply: Email the following application materials to: tpscolorado@msudenver.edu Please use this subject line: “TPS Internship – [Applicant’s full name]”. In your application, please include:

o Resume

o Statement of purpose describing future professional and/or academic plans (250 words)

o Topic idea for a project that identifies digitized primary sources from the Library of Congress, found at https://www.loc.gov, suitable for engaging learners, ages 9+. Please also explain why you chose this topic of interest. (100 words max.)

o Transcript (may be unofficial)

o Two academic and/or professional references (contact information only)

o Availability: remote or onsite

Important: All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 PM local time on the deadline indicated below. Late materials will not be reviewed.

o Spring 2025 Applications accepted between: 08/12/2024 – 11/01/2024 (Internship dates: week of 2/03/2025 – week of 05/12/2025)

o Fall 2025 Applications accepted between: 02/10/2025 - 5/02/2025 (Internship dates: week of 09/01/2025 – week of 12/08/2025)v