Action Research Internships

Take the community-based, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research skills you've gained in Sharpe to the next level by becoming an Action Research Intern. Interns receive $5,000 to complete ten full-time weeks of intern and research activities during the summer. Successful applicants will be matched, according to their interests and previous experience, with partners, who will then have the opportunity to vet final candidates through interviews. This opportunity is currently open to first-year Sharpe Scholars.

Applications are now open! Please submit your application by Friday, February 28th.

Apply Here!

The Sharpe Community Scholars Program is offering the following internship opportunities for summer 2025.

Sharpe Internship Opportunities
Bray School Lab "The William & 玛丽 Bray School Lab is a key component of the Williamsburg Bray School Initiative, a ground-breaking and innovative partnership between William & 玛丽 and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation with the shared goal of uncovering, documenting, preserving, and disseminating the history and legacy of the Williamsburg Bray School. As we reconstruct the Bray School’s history, we aspire to transform traditional accounts of America’s history into a multi-layered story that centers Black legacy at the heart of U.S. democracy." Internship Description The W&M Bray School Lab invites applicants interested in supporting work on two ongoing research projects. The first uses primary and secondary sources to document the literacy of African American enslaved across Virginia, from 1619 to 1865. The second explores the history of African Americans in Virginia who fought for the British (1775-1783) and any ties they may have had to the Williamsburg Bray School. Preferred Qualifications Strong interest and/or experience in African American or Education history Experience in website design, content development, and/or data entry
Jolly's Mill Pond "Jolly's Mill Pond is a 200 year-old, tree farm and pond in Williamsburg, Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Its unique features have been studied by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and The College of William and 玛丽. We also have a largely unknown Black history that connects us to Colonial Williamsburg and other sites in early Virginia." Internship Description Sharpe Scholars working with Jolly's Mill Pond will explore the intersections of local Black history, Indigenous foodways, wetland ecology, and/or sustainable small-scale agriculture. The research conducted in this program will allow Jolly's Mill Pond to continue to grow our sustainable products and build opportunities for students and other farms.
Self-Designed Conduct a research internship with a community organization that isn't a Sharpe Action Research partner, e.g. an organization in your hometown. All self-designed Action Research Internships require a letter of reference from your proposed internship supervisor explaining details about the internship as well as a testimony on your research/professional/engagement capabilities.

Host institutions provide interns with mentored research experiences that align with their needs and strategic objectives. Students are expected to apply and practice what they learn by contributing to the creation of an original project (e.g., exhibit, publication, or digital initiative) that reflects the latest methods, best practices, and innovative technologies in the field.

Below are the general application requirements. You can find more information in the links provided above, including expected duties and qualifications for each internship.

Eligibility

Applicant must be a student in good academic standing.
Applicant must be a first-year Sharpe Scholar
Applicant must be or become eligible to work in the United States by May 1, 2025.
Applicant must be available to complete ten full-time weeks of intern and research activities in Summer 2025.

Requirements

Internships will have a research component with specifics to be arranged with the internship supervisor.
Students are required to participate in the Fall 2025 Undergraduate Internship Showcase.

Application

1. Sharpe Action Research Internship Application form (online)

You will be asked to enter the names of two references :
- One reference must be a faculty member who has taught you in class.
- A second reference may be another professor, a former supervisor, acquaintance, etc. who can speak to your ability to be successful in the internship
  - OR a letter of reference from your proposed internship supervisor (self-designed internships only)

2. Cover Letter, addressed to the Sharpe Scholars Program, explaining the following:

why you are interested in the Sharpe Action Research Internship
the skill sets, academic preparation, and special interests or experiences you possess that qualify you for the internships you selected
why you consider yourself a good fit for your chosen internships
your personal qualities that make you suitable for this opportunity
how this internship relates to your career and academic goals
what you hope to gain from this experience

3. Writing Sample, ranging from 3 to 5 double-spaced pages (not including bibliography, footnotes, or appendix) demonstrating:

A capacity to craft a coherent and compelling argument using primary and/or secondary sources
An engagement with social issues, policy, law, community, or similar topics
Attention to language, grammar, syntax, and overall construction

4. Community Letter of Reference (self-designed internships only)

For students choosing to self-design an internship with a community organization in their hometown or elsewhere
Letter must come from proposed internship supervisor explaining details about the internship as well as a testimony on your research/professional/engagement capabilities

5. Resume
6. Banner (unofficial) Transcript

7. Supplemental work (optional)

Demonstrates research ability not displayed in the writing sample
Examples include: art portfolio, digital project, community project

Bray School Lab

Jolly's Mill Pond

Self-Designed