Fall 2026 Internships

Historic Boulder, Inc. - "Meet the Spirits" Student Research Assistants 

Historic Boulder, Inc. (“HBI”) has hosted a history reenactment event in Boulder’s Columbia Cemetery (9th & College) for over three decades: “Meet the Spirits” invites people of all ages into the cemetery to hear costumed volunteer actors portray and tell the stories of the early residents of Boulder who are buried there.  Of the over 6,500 people interred at Columbia, we have gathered stories for less than 100 and seek to diversify our historical records by adding stories of Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian-descent people who were part of Boulder’s community. We recognize that these histories have been marginalized and finding their rich detail requires time, effort and creativity in seeking them out.  In an effort to support the documentation of Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian stories in the historical record, our goal is to add several Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian people to our “Spirit” cast to share these stories with the public in an engaging way. 

The cemetery has an index of people buried in the cemetery which is the starting point for the research project and we have a partial list of candidate “spirits” here: Latinx Hispanic Mexican Chicano - Burials in Columbia Cemetery (80% Complete) and Asian Americans buried in Cemetery (partial)

Number of Positions: Up to 5 students 

Supervisor: Melanie Muckle and Tim Plass, Historic Boulder, Inc. 

Schedule: 12-15 hours per week. Specific schedule to be mutually agreed upon between student and supervisor. Total 120-150 hours over the project period. 

Format:  Weekly meetings (to review findings, challenges and progress in research) with Historic Boulder staff will be in-person, including an initial meeting at the Columbia Cemetery and another at the Carnegie Library. Otherwise, interns can expect work to be completed independently via a combination of virtual and on-site research (i.e., online, local libraries, CU campus, interviewing family members), as needed for completing final project: 

  • a historical sketch and story script for one or more people buried in Columbia Cemetery of Latinx, Indigenous, Asian heritage; 
  • along with one or more of the following about the person:  a) a poster story-board, b) a webpage, c) a short video, AND/OR d) a performance portraying the person telling the story at this year’s Meet the Spirits taking place on October 3 & 4, 2026; 
  • an annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources 

Compensation/Course Credit: Unpaid. Students may earn 3 internship credits towards their HIST major or minor by completing several personal reflections/journal entries and submitting a final project/sample of work from their internship.  To earn credit, students must enroll in HIST 4930. 

Desired skills:

  • Interest in public history, culture, and community history, including sharing history with the public in creative ways.
  • Interest in Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian American history.  Relevant language proficiency is a plus. 
  • Experience with research using various primary source materials.
  • Excellent research, documenting, and writing skills.
  • Detail-oriented, accurate, and organized. 
  • Comfortable working independently and willing to ask questions when needed.
  • Flexibility, adaptability, and a sense of fun. 

How to apply: Submit an internship application and a cover letter to the History Internships Coordinator, Dr. Natalie Mendoza (natalie.mendozagutierrez@colorado.edu) and cc ss-history@colorado.edu. Cover letter should be saved as a PDF and must answer the following questions:

  • What skills do you bring to this position?
  • How does this position support your current historical interests and future goals?
  • What do you hope to learn and get out of this position?

Applicants will be expected to interview with the supervisor.

Application deadline: Priority deadline is May 20,2026, meaning applications submitted by this date will receive priority in the review process.  Historic Boulder hopes to select an intern in time for work to begin the week of June 1, 2026 and ending no later than August 7, 2026.