Student Jobs

The Wisconsin Historical Foundation exists to support the Wisconsin Historical Society and further its mission, vision, and values:

• Mission: The Society connects people to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories.
• Vision: Enriching and transforming lives through unparalleled access to history.
• Values: We believe that increasing the public's knowledge of history has profound societal, cultural and economic benefit.

As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, the Foundation receives grants and private contributions benefiting the Society, administers the membership program, and provides marketing and communications services for the Society.

Interns must be able to dedicate 15-20 hours per week to this spring internship position (with potential opportunity to extend to summer). Hours are flexible with an expectation of at least one day or two half days in the office.

The PR & Social Media Intern is part of a team of communications, marketing and public relations professionals charged with increasing public awareness of the Wisconsin Historical Society, including our historic sites and attractions, collections and archives, programming and resources, and internal areas of expertise.

The PR & Social Media Intern is self-motivated, flexible and eager to contribute to a variety of communications projects—emphasis on PR and Social Media initiatives —in a collaborative, professional environment. This position is an active contributor who will gain valuable experience for a future career in the marketing and communications fields. The ideal candidate is highly organized, a strong writer and should have completed or be pursuing a degree in Marketing, Journalism, Mass Communications, Public Relations or a related area.

Interns must be able to dedicate 15-20 hours per week to this spring internship position (with potential opportunity to extend to summer). Hours are flexible with an expectation of at least one day or two half days in the office.

Primary Duties

• Write press releases, media advisories and other media resources such as fact sheets, bios and interview briefings.
• Maintain robust event calendar, researching submissions and uploading content
• Assist with media monitoring and results reporting
• Research and document relevant media contacts and potential pitch opportunities
• Actively contribute new ideas for consideration
• Research projects as assigned
• Opportunity for special project work based on professional interests
• Perform other marketing and communications-related tasks as needed
• Conduct content research to generate ideas that align with the Society’s goals and target audiences. 
• Monitor social media trends and suggest ways the organization can leverage relevant trends to connect with new and growing audiences.  
• Create engaging, on-brand and error-free content for various social media platforms, including written posts with compelling imagery and short videos for social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.  

Develop short-form social media videos, leveraging current social media trends and best practices.  

• Strong writing and proofreading skills are essential to this role
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently, and take direction from colleagues
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, problem-solve and multi-task
• Organized, reliable and self-motivated
• Creative mindset and a passion for the marketing and communications field
• Familiarity with the Microsoft Office Suite
• Familiarity with social media platforms, trends and best practices
• Ability to adapt to new digital tools and technologies

To apply, please send the following items to Erika Flaherty at erika.flaherty@wisconsinhistory.org:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• 1-2 writing samples (E.g. communications writing such as a press release, social media content, marketing email copy, blogs, etc. This can be project work from academic classes.)