Archaeological Conservation Intern

Public Service Fellows Program Overview

The Public Service Fellows (PSF) Program began in 2014 with support from the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Foundation. Since its inception, over 200 students have completed internships in 85 organizations in 25 North Carolina counties. The goal of the program is to foster workplace experiences for undergraduates at ECU while helping rural communities build professional capacity to address public issues.

Up to 20 students will be chosen each year for SECU Public Fellow Internships (PFI). PFI participants will take part in 20 hours of leadership and professional development workshops in addition to the 330-hour PFI internship experience. Each student selected for the program will receive $17.50 per hour.

Students will be expected to attend a MANDATORY orientation on May 15, 2026, attend workshops scheduled throughout their internship, and at the end of their internship, and present at a State Employees Credit Union Advisory Board meeting either in summer or fall.

Position Summary

Overall goals of the internship: 1. To help progress the conservation of artifacts so that they can be stable enough for long-term storage, display, and research. 2. To help educate the public on cultural resources. 3. To gain an understanding of collections management in a real-world, fast-paced setting. Tasks to be undertaken: 1. Solution testing – collecting data on artifacts undergoing desalination to remove salts. 2. Monitoring storage environments – adjusting relative humidity of dry artifact storage and pH of wet storage tanks. 3. Data entry – entering collected data into the artifact database. 4. Artifact documentation – performing photography and recording measurements. 5. Image processing – labeling and filing images appropriately. 6. Outreach – assisting with educational events, often in rural and underserved communities.

Internship Location & Supervisor Information

The Office of State Archaeology Conservation Lab (under the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources) is responsible for the preservation of archaeological collections housed by the Office of State Archaeology. The lab was founded as part of the La Concorde/Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project, which remains a large focus of the work. However, in recent years, the lab has expanded services to any state-managed collection in need of the specialized care we provide. Our mission is to serve the people of NC, not only through preservation efforts, but also through public education about NC’s tangible cultural heritage.

Students will primarily work at ECU’s West Research Campus at 1157 VOA Site C Road, Greenville, NC. The intern will work with Kimberly Kenyon, Principal Investigator and Head Conservator.