Capstone Application – 2026-2027
UNC Greensboro MA in History/Museum Studies
Name of Institution: Har-Ber Village Museum
Point Person: Alexcina Wartski
Address of Institution: 4404 W 20th St, Grove, Oklahoma 74344
Email & Phone Number:
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):
This project, which focuses on collections management and media creation, targets one of Har-Ber Village’s several archives that are being developed by the curations team. This collection focuses on an archive of receipts that show the purchasing patterns of a drugstore from the early 1900s. These receipts have all been scanned and inputted into our collections management software (PastPerfect Online 5.0) but do not have any additional information on them.
The student would create metadata for these receipts that will be housed permanently in this software. After, the student will go on to create a series of social media posts (at least 10) which focus on the businesses and brands that were prominently mentioned in these receipts. This will be going on our social media to engage the local community with different elements of our history.
This collection is extremely large, and the student will only be completing a fraction of the receipts that have been scanned. This will assist the museum’s goal of completing a full inventory of our collection materials. These items will also, eventually, be available for research.
Who Would Supervise / Work with the Student?
Our museum curator would be supervising and working with this student.
When Will the Majority of the Work Take Place?
This work would take place between the months of August 2026 and April 2027.
What Skills Will the Students Build?
Students will build skills in navigating an online collections database, doing research based around collections materials, recognizing patterns throughout documents, and creating media for a broad audience to engage the local community with history.
What Skills/Competencies Will the Student Need?
The student ideally would have a background in using museum collections software.
When Will This Project Take Place and When Will It Launch?
This project is currently being worked on by curations staff members at Har-Ber Village. The posts relating to this project will be put on our Facebook and Instagram.
Is There a Budget for This Project? Does the Site Have Funds for Travel Expenses for Student?
There is no budget for this project. We do not expect the student to come to Oklahoma, so no travel expenses will be necessary.
Is This Work Largely in Person at your Site, Virtual, or a Mix?
This work will be 100% virtual.
Why Would This Project be a Strong Capstone Opportunity?
This project focuses on a variety of subjects, all of which can be transferrable skills that would be good for resumes in the future. Learning how to take information in an archive and transform it into another form of media is something that cannot be practiced enough.
This would be a good opportunity for a student who cannot travel to complete an internship, or for a student who is working who needs a flexible schedule. This project is so vast that we can also set different goals for the students throughout the semesters if need be. We want to provide a safe space for emerging professionals to learn.