Jolenne Cisneros, San Diego State University Intern - Relevancy & History Project, Spring 2021

Jolenne Cisneros will graduate from San Diego State University in May 2021 with a Bachelors in history. She plans on becoming a history teacher in the future and chose the internship program in order to gain knowledge in public history. Due to COVID-19, there was an expectation that the internship would be fully online, however, that changed once she was able to go in person to Old Town State Park, where she was able to dress in full period attire, and learn and discuss history with others. The advice she would give to future interns would be to dress in the period attire and work in museums because it's a wonderful way to learn more about San Diego. Please enjoy this video as Jolenne details her experience, including challenges faced and lessons learned.
---
The Relevancy & History Project is an innovative public humanities initiative that seeks to highlight the underrepresented histories and voices of California’s diverse communities in order to advance and integrate equity, inclusion, and social justice practices within the interpretive landscape of California State Parks.
An important aspect of the Relevancy & History Project is the diversification of personnel, employment pathways, and areas of expertise, and the cultivation of sustainable partnerships with academic/scholarly institutions and cultural organizations. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park's internship partnership with San Diego State University touches on both of these aspects of the program. While this internship opportunity focused on the creation of digital interpretive content, projects were tailored to match intern interests and future career paths, and onsite, in person opportunities were available. Through a combination of original research, content creation, and conversations with existing park staff, interns had a diverse, dynamic experience where they: gained an understanding of the Interpretation and Education Division of California State Parks, particularly at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; participated in a Parks career seminar as well as a resume/CV workshop to help in their continuing professionalization; honed their skills in completing original historical research; and developed their skills in public programming as part of their work to create digital interpretive content for the park’s website, KZbin channel, Facebook page, and other applicable social media channels. To learn more, please visit our website at: www.parks.ca.g...