Anthropology Department

Field Schools and Internship Program

Field Schools and Internship Program

Internship Program Site (click for more information) Internship Resources and Postings (resources, organizations and opportunities)	The department offers a range of internship opportunities through its ANT 490 course. The objective of the internship program is to acquaint students with the work of research libraries, museums, community organizations, government agencies, and other cultural institutions in order to enhance students' knowledge of sources, research methodologies, institutional cultures, and work environments. This course helps anthropology students prepare to enter professional employment by working under a site supervisor who provides on-the-job training.
Ethnographic Field School 2009 Download flyer (pdf) and application	The applied medical anthropology field school project will focus on radon gas detection and GPS skills to determine the spatial distribution of the gas in West Michigan. Students will be trained to collect information, interview, analyze data and gain report writing skills. Socioeconomic data will be collected using a survey questionnaire and focus groups. This research project has been approved by the GVSU Human Research Review Committee. Students are encouraged to apply for the field school before the class size exceeds its limit. Contact Dr. Azizur R. Molla, Medical Anthropologist, Department of Anthropology, 1155 Au Sable Hall, Allendale, MI 49401; Phone 616-331-8934; Email: mollaziz@gvsu.edu.
Ethnographic Field School 2007 Download the project report (pdf) (2 MB)	Project: "Linking Food to Community: West Michigan Farmers Markets" Project Director: Russell Rhoads, Ph.D. Graduate Assistants: Autumn Shroyer and Melissa Harrington. The 2007 field school involved 20 students on a project to study the impact of the Westside and Fulton Street Farmers Markets on the surrounding neighborhoods. The project involved a collaborated with the West Grand Neighborhood Organization. A project report is available upon request.
Archaeology Field School 2006	Project: "Survey and Excavation in the Muskegon State Game Area" Project Directors: Janet G. Brashler, Ph.D. Professor and Curator of Anthropology and Don Gaff, Ph.D. Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology The 2006 GVSU archaeology field school shifted its focus of work from the Grand River basin to the Muskegon and began work on several sites located within the boundaries of the Muskegon State Game Area. The field school was able to undertake three different research projects which included 1) a survey of McNeal Mound, a 2000 year old Hopewellian site, 2) a mapping and test excavation project to help restore an earthen enclosure that was excavated in the 1930s, and 3) to test excavate a multi-component archaeological site at the Muskegon State Game area headquarters.
Ethnographic Field School 2005	Project: "Habitat for Humanity of Kent County: The Relationship between a Non-Governmental Organization and its Community" PROJECT DIRECTOR: Deana Weibel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology The anthropological field school ran for six weeks and focused on conducting interviews and engaging in participant-observation to better understand the organization and culture of Kent County's Habitat for Humanity affiliate and its impact on the Grand Rapids community of Baxter while it builds homes there. The great majority of people who work for Habitat are volunteers, and recipients of houses must meet certain guidelines, including earning the homes through "sweat equity" as volunteers themselves. Field school students conducted interviews with volunteers and members of the recipient community, and participated in and observed the organization and neighborhood as Habitat volunteers. Click here for a draft copy of the final project report.
Archaeology Field School 2004	Ever want to dig up your back yard and discover the remains of ancient cultures? Grand Valley State University offers you a low cost, local opportunity to investigate the life ways of people who once lived along the Grand River and its tributaries in this part of Michigan.
Ethnographic Field School 2003	The anthropological field school examines consumer expectations from the Holland Farmers Market. Field school students will develop a survey in the field school as part of their training. Interviews will then be analyzed and shared with farmers and market organizers to help them develop and/or improve on their current marketing strategies.
Archaeology Field School 2002	The focus of the 2002 GVSU archaeological field school will be to explore the areas surrounding one of Michigan's most important archaeological sites, Norton Mounds.
Ethnographic Field School 2001	A summer ethnographic field school was offered with Spring semester, 2001. Learn field methods, work with a community partner in Grand Rapids, and get valuable practical experience in anthropology. The next school is scheduled for 2003!
Ethnographic Field School 1998 Final Report	ASSIMILATION, ADVOCACY AND ACTIVISM: FORGING IDENTITIES IN HISPANIC GRAND RAPIDS Revised February 18, 1999 Dr. Cindy Hull, Associate Professor, Dr. Russell Rhoads, Associate Professor, GVSU