November 9, 2022

*2022 summer intern Hilary Bergen surveying historic resources*

*interns Hilary Bergen, Lilu McNiff & Liam McNiff take a break from research to visit the Observatory*

As an organization that’s been around for nearly 60 years, we are involved in a lot of different things, and we want to make sure you know the full scope of what we do.

Our Anderson Family Internship Program brings the brightest student minds in the field to work at Greater Portland Landmarks for the summer, where these talented students learn from us while owning major research projects.

What does this mean for our work?

Interns are a phenomenal resource for us! Not only is it a wonderful opportunity to shape the direction that preservation will take in the future, but it is also a chance for our staff to revisit tried and true best practices and to be introduced to the most up-to-date scholarship and conversations in the field. We polish our own strengths through teaching and broaden our perspectives at the same time. We are pleased to be able to offer competitive wages to our interns thanks to the continuing generosity of our donors.

Our training efforts don’t stop with traditional students. We also serve as the hub for the Portland History Docent (PHD) program, which trains docents for a variety of historic sites in the area. The volunteers who go through this program are given a solid footing in Portland’s history, guiding techniques, and go on to be the lifeblood of so many of the wonderful museums and sites that bring Portland’s history to life for visitors and locals alike. Here at Greater Portland Landmarks, we rely on docents who come through the PHD program to guide our walking tours and tours of the Observatory. We couldn’t be more grateful for their contributions to our organization! Thank you, docents!

Does training preservationists speak to you? Support bringing interns to Landmarks and continuing the invaluable PHD program!