Search within:
a view of the Mound City Earthworks group of Hopewell Culture National Historic Park
Bruce Lombardo Internship

Lombardo Internship

The Bruce Lombardo Internship allows Ohio University Chillicothe students to gain meaningful experience and develop professional skills at the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park. Interns assist the park in a variety of ways depending on their interests, background and needs of the park. Such opportunities include aiding with educational programs and youth outreach activities; communication and research projects; and assisting rangers. This internship will help instill an appreciation of the significance of the prehistoric people through their complex system of earthworks and burial mounds while simultaneously expanding and enriching students' experiences. 

OHIO Chillicothe partnered with the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park to establish this unique internship in 2022 in honor of Bruce Lombardo (1956-2017), retired teacher, published author, conservationist, and biologist who worked at the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, as well as several other cultural sites in the area.

Highlights

A Hopewell Culture National Historical Park ranger and an Ohio University faculty member will mentor the student throughout the internship. At the end of the internship, the student will reflect on their experience through a 3-5-page essay about what they learned through the internship and how it complemented and enriched their educational experience.

Job Duties

In this position, the student will have the opportunity to assist the park in a variety of ways depending on the student’s interest/background and the needs of the park. Such opportunities include aiding with educational programs and youth outreach activities; communication and research projects; and assisting rangers.

Program Dates

This internship typically takes place during the summer months, but scheduling may be arranged to suit the intern and the National Park Service.

Eligibility and Requirements

Any Ohio University Chillicothe student is eligible for the internship.

As part of the application process, applicants must submit:

  • a resume,
  • an application letter summarizing the applicant's interest in Hopewell culture and the internship, along with what the student hopes to learn from the internship, and
  • a letter of recommendation from an Ohio University faculty member detailing the student's suitability for the internship. 

Interviews may be scheduled with applicants as part of the selection process. To apply, submit application materials to Ann Holmes in the Dean's Office.

Intern Testimonial

"I've enjoyed getting to learn about such a broad range of topics with all of the rangers and resources available to me at the visitor center every day. Feels like an adventure every day and it always leads to something meaningful! I learned that the Interpretation Park Ranger job was the career I wanted to pursue. I'll be aiming for education positions to teach people about our natural resources and cultural history at whichever park I work for." -David Stafford, 2022 Ohio University Bruce Lombardo Intern

Stafford worked closely with park rangers, learned local history, and provided educational programming for park visitors of all ages. Stafford worked as a seasonal park ranger for the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park after graduating in 2023.

David Stafford at the Mound City Earthworks Visitors Center