First published in the March 31 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
The Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation is inviting local high school students to apply for its third annual Virtual History Internship Program.
The seven-week program will be conducted remotely and is open to students in grades 10-12 interested in learning about and preserving local history.
This year, the theme of the interviews is “Creating Community.” Interns will create oral history interviews with members of local service and community organizations. The program includes training in research methods, interview techniques, how to process and preserve an interview, and legal and ethical guidelines.
Interns will attend four Zoom meetings to receive training and feedback. They will use free recording apps on their smartphones to record the interviews, which will be permanently archived in the Lanterman House archives.
“Twenty-two interns have successfully completed the program since we launched it in 2020,” said Laura Verlaque, executive director of the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation. “Both the interns and the people whom they interviewed have created something of lasting value to the community.”
The mentors of the Virtual History Internship program will be Verlaque; Julie Yamashita, Lanterman House archivist; and Mary Lou Langedyke, president of the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation Board and retired La Cañada High School history teacher.
“This year, we decided to focus on capturing the histories of our local service organizations,” Langedyke said. “This area has such a rich tradition of participation and volunteerism.”
Students who attend a local high school or live in the Crescenta-Cañada Valley are eligible to apply. They must fill out a short application and submit a recommendation. Application and recommendation forms can be found on the Lanterman House website at lantermanhouse.org/internship-application. Applications are due by May 15 and the program begins on June 14.
