Historic Preservation Intern (City of Reno, Pack Intern, Spring 2026)
**This internship is hosted by City of Reno - Arts & Culture and sponsored by the Nevada Career Studio and ASUN.
Students are highly encouraged to visit the Nevada Career Studio in-person Fridays from 12:00 to 4:00 or use our Virtual Resume + Cover Letter Tune Up service BEFORE applying for these positions. Students are welcome to by any time during our drop-in hours, but we’ll have dedicated staff on Fridays! Resumes and cover letters that do not meet NCS expectations will not be included in applicant packages to employers.
About City of Reno - Arts & Culture:
The City of Reno is committed to making arts and culture accessible to everyone by offering a wide range of public art, preserving history, and supporting cultural organizations. Since 1993, the City's historic preservation program has promoted the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and restoration of historic resources. The City of Reno provides information to enhance our community's understanding and appreciation of the City's dynamic history and to facilitate the implementation of Reno's historic preservation ordinance (RMC 18.07). Historic preservation is key to helping us better understand and appreciate Reno's dynamic history through the careful identification, restoration, and adaptive reuse of our historic sites.
Internship Description:
The Historic Preservation Intern will plan one or more activities or special events that engage the public in the celebration of National Historic Preservation Month during May 2026. Special events may include a community survey project, a history scavenger hunt, a historic sites campaign, workshops, or public talks. The Intern will work in partnership with the City of Reno Arts and Culture Manager and Management Assistant during the Spring Semester to design and implement activities/special events associated with National Historic Preservation Month. Preservation Month was established in 1973 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is meant to promote historic places and heritage tourism and demonstrate the social and economic benefits of historic preservation.
Duties/Responsibilities:
- Assist with the development and implementation of public programming that communicates the value of historic preservation.
- Assist with the planning, coordination, and execution of National Preservation Month events, including the Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony.
- Research local businesses and prepare 1-2 City of Reno Legacy Business Award nominations.
- Assist with the development of architectural survey data for a historic neighborhood in Reno.
Goals and Expectations of the Intern:
- Complete 120 hours of work as an intern (8-15 hours per week, 15 weeks total)
- Minimum of two special events or activities to occur during Historic Preservation Month
- The intern will support the execution of at least two public outreach events that invite the public to celebrate historic preservation and heritage conservation. One event will be the City of Reno's Annual Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony. Planning for events/activities will occur throughout the internship period, and events will take place in May 2026.
- Increase the number of resources in the City's Inventory of Historic Resources
- The intern will assist in the development of architectural survey data for a historic neighborhood in Reno and translate those findings into information that the general public and/or interested stakeholders can easily access and understand.
Required Qualifications:
- Must be a degree-seeking undergraduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno during the Spring ‘26 semester
- College coursework in historic preservation, geography, museum studies, history, anthropology or related field.
- Photography skills including the ability to upload photos to various platforms.
- Experience or familiarity with technology such as databases, Microsoft, GIS/mapping, and project management tools.
- Self-motivation and the ability to work well with others.
- Must have a valid driver's license.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Knowledge of local history
- Previous experience planning and promoting a special event and public speaking.
Desired Schedule for Intern:
Applicants must be able to work the majority of their hours between 9 am and 4 pm, Monday through Friday. Occasional evening work will be required.
PIGP internships require interns to complete 120 hours during their internship. It is the intern’s responsibility to ensure this requirement is met.