Washington Placements
Advice on the Department of History’s placement programme at
Naval History & Heritage Command, Washington DC
The following is a guide for students wishing to take advantage of the Washington placement scheme, normally as part of the General Historical Problems course in the final year, in which students are asked to produce a short report on a professional placement undertaken during the Easter Vacation. While there are a wide variety of placement opportunities in and around Aberdeen, there is also the opportunity for more adventurous students to conduct their placement at the Naval History & Heritage Command (formerly the Naval Historical Center) in Washington DC. The Aberdeen-Washington placements have run since 1996, and as many as twenty students have participated in any one year.
The following notes are based on the experiences of previous students and aim to provide information about what to expect during your stay, and about flights, transportation, accommodation, and other matters.
Here are a few images taken by previous participants in the programme
Feedback about the Programme from two AU students:
Brian: “Speaking personally I found the trip a huge success. As far as I can gather, and that goes for everyone else too - nobody could believe that three weeks could pass so quickly. The hosts were fantastic and went out of their way to help and to organise so much for us. Between travelling and field trips there is not much free time on this placement . . . Ed and his staff were very obliging and it's probably fair to say we both found it more a cultural than an educational experience (they all now know some of the Doric and how to pronounce my name properly!). If you are at all interested in history Washington is a wonderful city to visit and it is fair to say we visited and saw as much as we could. It is an opportunity Aberdeen University students should continue to take advantage of and I hope you and your stateside contacts carry on the good work.”Sarah: “I really enjoyed my time in Washington DC. It was amazing, and that is an understatement. The host families are fantastic and bend over backwards for everyone, not just their own students. I lived in Virginia with David Close and his wife, Anna, they were fantastic and did everything they could to help us and keep us entertained! This internship really opened my eyes up to what I might like to do with my life, and my supervisor, Karin Hill, really helped me with advice on various career paths. I worked in the Education department, creating projects for schools all over America. I made lesson plans for the teachers to follow and activities to facilitate the children's learning of American naval history. We created the project in such a way that it would keep children engaged in learning. By the end of the 3 weeks in DC I think it would be safe to say that we had all settled in and were very unhappy to have to leave! We wished it had been longer. If I was offered to go back again, I would jump at the chance. It is true to say that it is difficult to give up 3 weeks of dissertation time, but it is completely worth it. The experience and skills one will gain at the U.S. National Naval Museum will stand one in good stead for anything that they choose to do with their life.”
INTRODUCTION TO THE PLACEMENTS
Within the NH&HC (www.history.navy.mil) are different branches including the Navy Department Library and the National Museum of the United States Navy, the latter hosting about 150,000 visitors each year, and running a range of themed temporary exhibitions on American naval history which encourage visitor interaction. The NH&HC has a rich collection of documents, books, photographs, art, and other materials, and a number of specialists in naval history. For information on the different types of placements within the Command, visit the following website (www.history.navy.mil/prizes/intern.html).
Dr Edward Furgol, Curator of the National Museum of the USN, runs the intern programme at the NH&HC. Additional information, including testimonials and pictures of Aberdeen-Washington interns enjoying themselves, may be found on the following website (www.dcinternsonline.org) maintained by David Close, one of the organisers of the accommodation (see below).
Examples of previous participants’ work
Click on the following links to see examples of the kind of work that previous students have produced:
- Navy NewsStand Item 1
- Navy NewsStand Item 2
- Contribution to Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
APPLICATION PROCESS
The Washington Placement Scheme has been suspended for 2012-2013.
Download your application form from the NH&HC website (www.history.navy.mil/prizes/intern.html). You will be asked to indicate on the form the area or branch in which you prefer to work. Make your decision carefully, as this will decide where you will work at the Command. The Navy Base is pretty big and not everyone ends up together. The students who contributed to the document had experience of the Early History, Contemporary History, and Curator Branches and the Navy Department Library.
Most of us had to work 7.30-4.00 or 8.30-5.00. They did expect us to put in the hours while we were there but all departments were willing to give a day here and there for 'field-trips'. How many days you receive off depends on each individual branch.
Application packages must include:
- Completed application form;
- Letter of reference addressed to Dr Furgol (one from a lecturer will do);
- Writing sample (an extract from an old essay, for example);
- Copy of your Academic Transcript (to be obtained from Registry).
It is advisable also to provide a cover letter addressed to Dr Furgol with your application package. You may wish to consult with the Careers Service for general guidance on making applications. You might also contact the Careers Adviser for History, Regina Jäschke.
After applications are received, for each applicant a telephone call will be arranged with Dr Furgol, so that you can discuss the department that you have chosen and he will also tell you where to go when you arrive.
BEFORE YOU GO
Flights - The next step is then to organise flights. We all got together for this and it took a while. After much searching around we booked our flights at Campus Travel. At the time, our total was £250 per person; if you get cheaper you'll be very lucky (especially now that rates have gone up). Easter is a very busy time in Washington and flights book up quickly, so there's no point holding off for a cheaper one. Flying via Amsterdam meant that some of us could fly from Aberdeen, and others from Edinburgh, and meet up in Schipol. It might not have been the cheapest flight but was only about £20 more to fly direct than having to get to London. You may, however, be better off booking with STA if its not too much more. They have branches worldwide, which gives you the opportunity to change your return date should you need or want too, for only $20-50 (approx.).
Accommodation - Because of the difficulties and costs of arranging hotel or hostel accommodation in Washington at Easter, in recent years Mrs Carol Crawford, the mother of a former Aberdeen history student, along with local St Andrews Society member, David Close, have organised accommodation with local families. Carol has prepared some guidelines for students and their hosts which clarify what each side should expect. Past students have found this aspect of the trip a very positive experience, and some created lasting trans-Atlantic friendships.
Permission to enter the United States of America - For information on what you need to do in advance in order to ensure you will be allowed to cross the border, consult the Embassy of the United States in London (http://london.usembassy.gov/visas.html), and contact Dr Furgol directly with any queries about this aspect of your placement.
Get travel insurance -
It is possible to obtain personal travel insurance through the University at www.abdn.ac.uk/finance/insurance/insur_travel.shtml; this free service is available to all staff and students who travel on university related business such as work placements. (For further details, please email insurance@abdn.ac.uk or ring extension: 3816). Of course insurance can also be purchased privately. The need for adequate insurance should be stressed: One of our party tripped and broke a bone in her ankle. We took her to Georgetown University Hospital and everything was taken care of on her insurance. The only problem was that she didn't have the document on her, so one of us had to go back to get it. They do accept credit cards (first thing you notice when you go into the hospital in the VISA sign!), but Jo was a bit wary of handing that over. (NB: If you are planning on doing any more travelling over the next year, maybe when you graduate, then I suggest taking out a year-long policy. It could work out cheaper for you in the long run.)
Costs, funding, and time - If you are considering going to Washington during Easter, the first thing to cross your mind, and what certainly crossed our minds, is undoubtedly how much the placement will cost. The essentials break down roughly as follows:
Flight................£400-600 (this varies widely every year)
Insurance...........£50 (if purchased privately)
In the past a small honorarium or stipend (about $400) has been granted by the NH&HC, paid out well after the end of the placement but, in some years (2010, for example), this honorarium was unavailable. A modest grant is usually available from Aberdeen University.
On top of this, of course, is spending money. It all depends on how much you eat, drink, shop, etc. It is probably best to take spending money in travellers’ cheques in US Dollars; you can then use them anywhere. You can also take money out of ATMs throughout the city, and some branches have lower international fees.
The other thing you may be concerned about is your Honours Dissertation. Giving up 3 weeks+ of dissertation time was quite stressful but it can be done. Mostly we all tried to get the majority of our research and writing done before we went and even took draft copies with us. For those of us studying the American Revolution we even managed to pick up extra sources and material from the NH&HC and the Library of Congress, as well as to take a few photos that ended up in the final copy. Our advice is to get started early on the dissertation and go to Washington – after all, it is your final year at university so you might as well take advantage of that fact.
EDWARD FURGOL RECOGNISED WITH NAVY MEDAL
In October 2011 Dr Edward Furgol received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal in recognition of his service at the NH&HC, and in part for "managing a highly successful intern program".
Dr Furgol's award follows the recognition given in October 2009, when Mrs Carol Crawford received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal for her voluntary work since 2003, arranging accommodation with host families in Washington DC for Aberdeen interns. Read the news item.
Those who are interested
in participating in future placements, or would like more information, please contact Dr
Jackson Armstrong. For information on wider placement learning opportunities within the University, visit: www.abdn.ac.uk/placement-learning.
Many thanks to the past student who prepared the notes on which the above is based.