2025 HBCUI Intern & 2026 HBCUI Intern.
BIOGRAPHY
Bria Harris, a graduate of Norfolk State University with a degree in Marketing, served as an Outreach Liaison at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park through the HBCUI Internship Program in 2025.
Bria brought experience in customer service, marketing, and community engagement to her internship, along with a passion for connecting people to meaningful stories and experiences. Her strong communication skills and enthusiasm for working with the public made her a valuable member of the park’s outreach and visitor engagement efforts.
During her internship, Bria worked alongside National Park Service staff to support educational tours, visitor programs, and community outreach initiatives. She assisted with scheduled events, helped coordinate visitor experiences, and contributed to projects documenting personal recollections connected to Monroe Elementary School. Her work helped strengthen the park’s efforts to preserve and share the history of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision and its lasting impact on American society.
Through this experience, Bria developed skills in public engagement, historical interpretation, event planning, and archival documentation while helping visitors better understand one of the most significant legal and educational milestones in United States history.
Following her successful internship at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park, Bria was selected to return to the HBCUI Internship Program in 2026 as a Community Engagement and Interpretation Intern at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, continuing her commitment to public service, interpretation, and visitor engagement.
Education & Experience
Education
Norfolk State University
2026 NPS SITE
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
POSITION
Community Engagement and Interpretation Intern
2025 NPS SITE
Brown v Board of Education National Historical Park
POSITION
Outreach Liaison
2026 Internship Slideshow
As a Community Engagement & Interpretation Intern, Bria supports visitor engagement, interpretive programming, and community outreach at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, helping connect people with the park’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources. Her work includes engaging directly with visitors and community members, supporting public programs and special events, and helping create meaningful opportunities for people to discover, experience, and build connections with the park.
Working alongside National Park Service staff and community partners, Bria contributes to efforts that strengthen relationships between the park and the communities it serves. Through public-facing programs, outreach activities, and interpretation, she helps make the park’s stories and resources engaging and accessible while gaining hands-on experience in community engagement, visitor services, public speaking, and interpretive communication.
Media & Publications
2025 Internship Project
As an Outreach Liaison, Bria supported educational and visitor engagement initiatives at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park. Her work included assisting with educational tours, supporting special events and visitor activities, documenting oral histories and recollections connected to Monroe Elementary School, and helping prepare materials for future interpretive and exhibit projects.
By working directly with park staff, visitors, and community members, Bria helped preserve important stories while supporting efforts to make the site’s history accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences.
Skills Developed & Accomplishments
Skills Developed
- Public Speaking
- Visitor Engagement
- Community Outreach
- Historical Interpretation
- Project Planning
- Archival Documentation
- Oral History Collection
- Professional Communication
Accomplishments
- Helped plan and deliver visitor activities reaching more than 500 guests.
- Prepared summaries of recorded recollections for future interpretive use.
- Created informational materials highlighting key historical milestones.
- Supported educational tours and visitor programs at Monroe Elementary School and other park locations.
- Assisted with community engagement initiatives that strengthened public understanding of the site’s history.
Mentor Perspective
Education Specialist Fatimah Purvis praised Bria’s contributions during her internship, noting her ability to connect with visitors, support educational programming, and engage with the park’s mission. During her internship, Bria welcomed hundreds of visitors, participated in special programs, and had the opportunity to meet individuals directly connected to the history preserved at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park.
Testimonial
“I’m learning so much from the rangers about history I didn’t know about. I learned how powerful it is to connect history directly to the public and to see visitors gain a new understanding of what happened here.” — Bria Harris
