The VOICE (Valuing Oral Histories through Inquiry & Community Engagement) Program invites Honors students to engage in sustained, high-impact research by participating in the full lifecycle of oral history research while contributing to a growing public-facing, community-based archive. 

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VOICE Fellows are trained in oral history methods grounded in the principles and best practices of the Oral History Association. The VOICE Fellowship emphasizes careful preparation, ethical engagement, and collaborative knowledge production. Students learn to approach oral history not simply as interviewing, but as a rigorous and relational research practice that centers listening, reciprocity, and responsibility to narrators and communities. 

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Over the course of the fellowship, students move through a scaffolded research process that spans the full project lifecycle, mirroring advanced scholarly work. They conduct background research and historiographical framing; design and refine interview protocols; complete ethics and consent training; and carry out in-depth oral history interviews with community narrators. Interns then process interviews through transcription, indexing, and annotation, and contribute to the curation and stewardship of a publicly accessible archive. Where appropriate, students may also participate in developing public-facing outputs such as exhibits, podcasts, or digital storytelling projects. 

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A defining feature of the VOICE Fellowship is its emphasis on intellectual ownership and independent inquiry. Students are encouraged to pursue thematic or analytical threads that emerge from their interviews, and to situate their work within broader scholarly and public conversations. Interns might consider developing their research into extended projects, digital exhibits, or honors theses. 

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The internship is grounded in the concept of shared authority, inviting students to critically examine questions of voice, representation, and power in historical research. Interns will engage in structured reflection and discussion, developing the capacity to analyze their own positionality and the relational dynamics of the interview process.

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By the end of the internship, students will have developed skills in: 

• Oral history research design and interviewing  

• Ethical research practices  

• Active listening and reflective analysis  

• Transcription, indexing, and archival description  

• Public humanities communication and storytelling  

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This internship is ideal for students interested in history, the humanities, community engagement, storytelling, communications, or public-facing research. Students pursing law and medicine will also benefit from this internship’s focus on communication, relational practice, and collaborative knowledge production. Students interested in telling the story of a particular community or event through oral history methodology are also welcome to apply. In any case, no prior experience with oral history is required; curiosity, reliability, and a willingness to listen carefully are essential. 

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Students commit in writing at the outstart of their internship term to a set number of hours per week and for a set number of weeks per semester. Each Fellowship position is renewable upon student interest and Faculty approval.  

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