Bicentennial Exhibit Development Internship Week 1

 Hello! 

My name is Samantha Froemming, and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Central Florida. For some who may have seen my previous semester's blog posts: I am starting as an intern in a new opportunity this semester with the Bicentennial Exhibit Development Project in connection with Public History Central and the UCF Library Special Collections! For those who may be seeing this for the first time: welcome! This is where I share my progress in my internships at UCF, with weekly updates as required by the course advisor.

This project is different from the other internship I engage with, and I am so excited to learn everything that allows me to be a part of this project! I am interested in pursuing museum studies within the realm of Public History, so this project is a great place to start as an undergraduate student. I look forward to all the new skills and experiences I gain throughout this semester, and I cannot wait to share my progress here! 

This project is centered around Dr. Crepeau's Bicentennial Collection from 1976, and the related items from the project that occurred in 2016 on the same subject. Since this year (2026) is the semiquincentennial (250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776), UCF and Public History Central have decided to showcase the collection once again. This collection will be displayed in an exhibit in the UCF Library in the summer (from July to September). My position as an intern will be to help develop the exhibit and the related items, such as narrative text, displays, etc. Also within this internship is my position as undergraduate team lead! I will help lead the other two undergraduate interns throughout the semester, and I will also be acting as sort of a liaison to Dr. Crepeau throughout the process. 

On Wednesday, I attended the first Public History Central Zoom meeting of the semester, where I learned about what to expect throughout this semester. Afterwards, I attended a "team lead meeting" to discuss further what it means to be in this position. Leading people in this way is new for me, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow as a leader. 

Public History Central is the umbrella organization that this project falls under, alongside the Veteran's History Project. Throughout the semester, we will attend weekly PHC meetings to discuss updates and trainings/field trips that we will have throughout the semester. Next week we are having a training session on Microsoft Teams, so I look forward to that. We will have field trips to CHDR, the UCF Library's Special Collections, the Orange County Regional History Center, and the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. Everything sounds so exciting and I cannot wait to provide updates. 

Since yesterday's meetings, I have reached out to the project supervisor to potentially set up a Zoom with the other two interns so that we can all get to know each other a little more, and to discuss the project and what to expect throughout the semester. I look forward to learning how to be a good team lead, and I am excited to work with such a great team of people! 

See you next week!


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