Capstone Application – 2026-2027
UNC Greensboro MA in History/Museum Studies
Name of Institution: Greensboro Jewish Federation
Point Person: Glenda Bernhardt
Address of Institution: 5509 C W. Friendly Ave, Greensboro, NC
Email & Phone Number: 336-852-5433 and gbernhardt@shalomgreensboro.org
Parameters of the Capstone: A capstone project is a practicum experience in which students put into practice what they have learned during their MA in History/Museum Studies. The capstone is not an internship, in which students are working on the site with regular hours and responsibilities throughout the semester. Instead, a capstone is often a project that students work on independently or as part of the museum’s team. The capstone should roughly last from September 15, 2026, to April 15, 2027, although these dates are somewhat malleable (i.e., they can start a little earlier or end later). While ideally the student will be around for the final project (i.e., exhibit launch), that is not necessary. Ultimately, the capstone is a learning experience for our MA in History/Museum Studies student and a community service for the partner organization. To that end, the required elements of the capstone are the following:
- An original contribution (this topic has not been covered before, or this type of project offers a form of new knowledge)
- Builds at least two concrete public history skills (i.e., exhibit design, collections management, evaluation, programming, digital design)
- Includes rigorous research – either historical research or museum studies research (i.e., evaluations, audience interviews)
- Involves interpreting research to a broader audience
- Done in collaboration with a community partner (a museum, local institution, library, archive, school, organization)
Examples of Former Capstones: Former projects have included:
Served on curation team for exhibits
Processed map collection of maps and created website accompanying it
Historic Marker Application
Developed and created a podcast
Digital Map of Community
Oral history project with website
National Register Nomination
Developed historic tours of site
Process: We will collect these capstone forms from multiple community partners. We then will provide these forms to students, and they will get in touch with sites that they are interested in between July 15 and August 30, to learn more about the project and to see if it might be a good fit. The capstone instructor will then circle back with all sites on September 1 to check in.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to have a capstone student work on your project. Please plan accordingly.
Please describe below one possible capstone project. If you want to submit another possibility, please create another document. You may submit up to 3 possible projects. Please be as specific as possible.
Description of the Project (Be as Detailed as Possible, and Include What Specific Work Will the Student Will Do):
The student will assist the Greensboro Jewish Federation in planning to review and preserve its collection of documents, A/V materials, and artifacts. The Federation currently has dozens of boxes of materials, some of which it will preserve, others it will digitize, and others it will shred. This capstone student will gain archival experience by doing the following three tasks:
- Conducting research in other historical Jewish Federation collections around the country and produce a research memo about what these organizations typically preserve and digitize.
- Conduct an inventory of the collection of boxes and file cabinets at the Federation, collating it in a Word document so that the organization can easily review what is in the materials.
- Work with a staff archivist to develop a plan for the collection, resulting in a deliverable of a proposal of what to dispose of, preserve, donate to archives, and digitize.
Who Would Supervise / Work with the Student?
Glenda Bernhardt would be the point person at Greensboro Jewish Federation and Stacey Krim at UNCG Libraries would be the archival staff person in Fall 2026 and a new hire will be the point person in Spring 2027.
When Will the Majority of the Work Take Place?
At hours set by the capstone student Monday through Thursday, 9-5.
What Skills Will the Students Build?
Research, writing, archival processing, collection management.
What Skills/Competencies Will the Student Need?
Project management skills, ability to work independently.
When Will This Project Take Place and When Will It Launch?
September 1, 2026-April 15, 2027
Is There a Budget for This Project? Does the Site Have Funds for Travel Expenses for Student?
No – but no funds needed.
Is This Work Largely in Person at your Site, Virtual, or a Mix?
Hybrid – in-person and remote
Why Would This Project be a Strong Capstone Opportunity?
This would be an excellent opportunity for a student who is interested in archival collections work, as the student will skill-build in creating an inventory and researching and presenting best practices in caring for an unprocessed collection.
