BACKGROUND
Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (ATHA) is a nonprofit committed to preserving and promoting the cultural, historical, and natural resources of Prince George’s County, Maryland. To plan for commemorations of the U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026, ATHA with the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission’s Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County (PGParks), began convening an multi-disciplinary group of professionals and volunteers working in the fields of history, education, leadership, volunteerism, civics, placemaking, and more. This group meets and works as Prince George’s 250 (PGC250). As a fiscal sponsor, ATHA was awarded funding from the Maryland 250 Commission’s “MD Two Fifty Fellows” grant program to create and offer this paid research opportunity. More information online at https://anacostiatrails.org and https://www.pgc250.org.
POSITION
ATHA seeks applicants for a temporary, hybrid, paid hourly position to contribute new research and conduct outreach for the Prince George’s Civil Rights Trail. The Prince George’s Civil Rights Trail is a multi-media public history project focused on sites and stories of the African American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1964). With previous funding from the National Park Service and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, the project completed the research, writing, and editing for five interpretive signs and a compendium bilingual website. The website is online at: https://www.pgccivilrights.org.
Building on the existing resources, the selected applicant will research, write, and edit place-based site and story profiles for the Civil Rights Trail website and collaborate with property owners to evaluate the potential installation of additional physical interpretive signs. The selected applicant will be self-motivated, familiar with some Maryland-based research centers/collections as well as online portals for historical research, and able to coordinate and attend related appointments and meetings across the Washington, DC area.
Responsibilities
- Conduct historical research to identify and illuminate sites and stories of the Civil Rights Movement in Prince George’s County, Maryland appropriate for a public history website and/or physical interpretive sign/historic marker, and/or self-guided/guided tour
- Coordinate outreach with research centers, property owners and other stakeholders to determine interest and appropriateness for physical signage installations, including writing emails, making phone calls, conducting in-person research/site visits
- Maintain organized records of research, correspondence, and documentation including scanning, naming, saving, and organizing digital files and managing a shared appointment/meeting calendar with coworkers
Qualifications
- Academic and/or professional experience conducting primary and secondary source historical research, such as a term-paper, thesis, or final project; there are no degree requirements for this position
- Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills and comfort working in a small office environment, sending emails/making calls, and scheduling/conducting research site visits and professional meetings
- Competency with common academic/professional software specifically Microsoft Office, Wordpress, as well as comfort with navigating online research portals for historic research; a Dell laptop with needed software can/will be provided to the selected applicant
Schedule/Compensation
Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (ATHA) offers a flexible, hybrid, hourly ($20/hour) paid Historian/Researcher position. The ATHA offices are based in Hyattsville, Maryland in an accessible and inclusive historic building shared with an art center. The timing of the position are flexible with a tentative start date in late-Summer and will commence based on completion of project deliverables in Fall 2025. ATHA will coordinate with the candidate to create a work schedule that works for both entities and will be formalized in an employment agreement with the selected applicant. Funding is available for up to $4500 or approximately 225 hours. The total compensation will be determined by the schedule and scope of work agreed upon by the employer and employee. All research expenses will be paid by the employer (ie. access fees, copy fees, image rights fees).
HOW TO APPLY
Anacostia Trails Heritage Area is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences; no professional degree is required for this position. We strive to create an accessible and inclusive small office work environment with a flexible but consistent schedule. Before applying, please familiarize yourself with the work of the hiring organization (ATHA), PGC250, and the existing Prince George’s Civil Rights Trail at the link provided above.
To apply, email the following documents/information by Friday, June 6, 2025 via email to info@anacostiatrails.org with subject line: Application – Civil Rights History.
- Resume with relevant past academic, professional, and/or volunteer experience related to public history, historical research, community engagement, or other relevant skill set
- Up to three examples of academic, professional, and/or volunteer experience relevant to this project, such as past academic research papers, public history workshops attended, or self-directed genealogical research, in a simple one paragraph summary each
- Cover letter that includes your interest in this project and ideal work schedule based on your other responsibilities, with a proposed start/end date, weekly schedule, and brief explanation of your general availability; cover letter should not exceed two-pages
Your application will be confirmed via email and applicants will be contacted by phone by Monday, June 26, 2026 if an interview is to be scheduled. No phone calls, please.