A group of children and 2 AmeriCorps members stand in a gym smiling. They are huddled in a circle putting their hands together.

AmeriCorps at History Colorado

About AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers.

Learn more about AmeriCorps here→

 

About Serve Colorado

Serve Colorado, the Governor's Commission on Community Service, empowers community-based organizations to meet locally identified needs and statewide challenges through service and volunteerism. Guided by the Governor's Commission for Community Service, Serve Colorado administers AmeriCorps Colorado and the Volunteer Generation Fund; promotes volunteerism through Days of Service; presents the Governor’s Service Awards; and supports early literacy initiatives.

Learn more about Serve Colorado here→

 

About the Program

History Colorado is a proud grantee of AmeriCorps, receiving funds as part of their State program. The History Colorado AmeriCorps Program’s mission is to foster an inclusive understanding and appreciation of Colorado’s diverse history through engaged community service. The program’s vision is a transformative service program that provides benefits to members and maximizes History Colorado’s capacity to educate and collaborate with communities to ensure the stories we tell reflect Colorado’s rich diversity. The program objectives are:

  • Support closing educational outcome gaps
  • Empower rural and underrecognized communities
  • Promote holistic community well-being
  • Sustainable program growth and development, including members’ growth and development
  • Advance racial equity through inclusive history

We developed this program in harmony with History Colorado’s mission and to reflect our grounding virtues. Therefore, we paid particular attention to the member experience when developing this program. As such, we are proud to offer a living stipend that is higher than the minimum required by AmeriCorps, in addition to benefits such as professional development in the form of trainings, an option to have health insurance coverage, and more. Furthermore, all AmeriCorps members receive an education award upon successful completion of their term of service. For more information, please visit our application below or contact Alex Wedderstrand, AmeriCorps Manager, at alex.wedderstrand@state.co.us.

Member Highlights

History Colorado is proud of our current and former AmeriCorps members. Below are a few History Colorado AmeriCorps member stories.

Americorps member with 2 children wearing masks. "My favorite part of [serving] was being able to directly influence the campers and getting to know them individually. Having the access to make a positive impact on my community made it not just a job but an everyday passion." -Angie Hernandez, El Pueblo History Museum AmeriCorps member, 2017
3 volunteers under a blue tent. “[Serving] at the Byers-Evans house through Americorps last summer was great. I learned a lot about how running a small museum works. I was able to help create programming and I enjoyed working with the small staff and group of volunteers. The histories of these two Denver families are so interesting!” -Molly Paillet, Center for Colorado Women’s History (formerly Byers-Evans House Museum) AmeriCorps member, 2017
A volunteer and 3 children outside. The AmeriCorp position with History Colorado was an amazing experience. I learned valuable skills about the day to day operations of running education programs at a museum as well as how to solve problems quickly and think on my feet. Beyond the practical career skills I gained, the AmeriCorp program taught me how to better serve my community by listening, learning and volunteering. I highly recommend this position to anyone who wants to learn how museum operations .
5 volunteers in front of adobe fort. “My experience helped with how I interact with co-workers and the community.” -Jason Rangan, El Pueblo History Museum and Antonito Museum of Memory project AmeriCorps member, 2022

Former and Current Staff and Volunteers

History Colorado is proud of our employees and volunteers who are AmeriCorps alumni. Below are a few stories.

Alex (she/her), AmeriCorps Manager. I was an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Denver Public Library. My time as a VISTA taught me valuable lessons I continue to use in my career. Coming from VISTA gave me unique insights into AmeriCorps and national service that I use every day in my role creating and managing the AmeriCorps program here at History Colorado. While this path certainly isn’t for everyone, it has led me to a job I truly enjoy at an organization I feel passionate about.
Emily Dobish (she/her) Director of Volunteer Engagement . I served with the Student Conservation Association, through which I was placed at the National Park Service at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. It gave me an avenue into the museum field and access to training and skills building. This experience helped me to understand that public history was the area I wanted to build a career in.
Kylie Miller (she/her), School Programs Coordinator. I became a teacher after serving as a Corps member in schools through City Year, so I was in the classroom for about five years total. Even now, I am still in the education sphere, but from the museum side. City Year gave me a great introduction to how schools function and working with kids, insights that I still use when thinking about education today.
Lucy Snow (she/her) Digital Marketing Specialist. Being an AmeriCorps Member enabled me to get involved in the organization I wanted to work for. By creating relationships within the organization and making an impact, I used this experience to apply for and gain a job in History Colorado's marketing department.

About the Sites

AmeriCorps members at History Colorado have the opportunity to serve at a number of sites across the state. Below, you will find more information about potential sites where you could serve.

History Colorado Center, Denver

00_e_MG_4190_2Located in the vibrant, young city of Denver, the History Colorado Center is in the heart of downtown. Just blocks away from the Center for Colorado Women’s History, the Denver Public Library, the Denver Art Museum, and more, the History Colorado Center is the largest of History Colorado’s museums and is the home to exciting things like the State Historic Preservation Office, Makerspace, and Stephen H. Hart Research Center.

The capital of Colorado, Denver is a bustling city in the center of the state, just to the east of the Rocky Mountains. Denver has all the benefits of city living like public transportation while still having easy access to all the hiking, skiing, biking, climbing, and other outdoor activities you could ever want. Denver also boasts a great local restaurant and brewery scene, and you can find concerts just about every weekend - and many weekdays, too. Of course, all of these draws also make the cost of living in Denver relatively high compared to other locations across the state, and Denver does not escape the housing challenges Colorado as a whole faces.

More information about the museum can be found here→

 

Ute Indian Museum, Montrose

ThumbnailSituated on gorgeous grounds complete with a garden, playground, and picnic areas, the Ute Indian Museum truly embraces the land and people it calls home. Just outside Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Montrose is a small city situated on Colorado’s western slope. Montrose has all the tight-knit community feel of a small town with all the conveniences of a city. With its relatively low cost of living and abundant opportunities for outdoor activities from hiking to skiing to water sports, Montrose is known for its tourism and recreational activities. Montrose even has a regional airport and bus services that cater to those activities!

More information about the museum can be found here→

 

Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center, Fort Garland

Fort GarlandWith a population just under 600 as of 2022, Fort Garland is the most rural of all our sites. Fort Garland still has a lot to offer, though. It is located steps away from Great Sand Dunes National Park - which has one of the best beaches in the country! Fort Garland, and the museum itself, is also the home for many events and activities for the larger region. Just 30 minutes away is the town of Alamosa, which is a pretty classic Colorado small town. Alamosa has all the conveniences afforded a college town as it is home to Adams State, plus a cute historic downtown. As a bonus, the San Luis Valley area boasts some pretty great hot springs! And it’s all only a hop skip and a jump away from larger cities like Taos and Colorado Springs.

More information about the museum can be found here→

 

Trinidad History Museum, Trinidad

ThumbnailThe Trinidad History Museum occupies a full city block in Trinidad, Colorado. Our site tells a fascinating history of Southern Colorado: one of the historic homes on site was occupied by a sheep rancher and Santa Fe Trail merchant, while the other was occupied by a cattle rancher and owner of one of the first coal mines in the area. Trinidad is a small community with a vibrant arts scene, tons of outdoor recreation opportunities, and of course--some great museums!

More information about the museum can be found here→

 

El Pueblo History Museum, Pueblo

El Pueblo building frontLocated in the heart of downtown Pueblo, the El Pueblo History Museum is our second-largest museum (after History Colorado Center) and is where our Hands-On History camps had their start. With its low cost of housing, thriving arts scene, and scenic riverwalk, Pueblo is a city that offers a lot to its residents. It is home to some of the largest events in the state, too: the Colorado State Fair and the Chile & Frijoles Festival. At the foothills of the mountains, Pueblo also offers every opportunity for outdoor activities as the rest of the Front Range, in addition to excellent fishing and kayaking.

More information about the museum can be found here→

 

Apply Now!

If you are interested in serving with History Colorado’s AmeriCorps program, we encourage you to send in an application! Follow the link below to apply.

Apply for AmeriCorps (coming soon)→

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the program, please contact Alex Wedderstrand at alex.wedderstrand@state.co.us.