February 15, 2008

Amish Country News Graphics Internship Guidelines 

Company Background:

The Amish Experience, RT 340, between Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse, is one of Lancaster County’s leading hospitality industry attractions. The Company operates on the property of Plain and Fancy Farm, the oldest family style restaurant in Lancaster County.

Preliminarily, it should be noted that tourism is Lancaster County’s second leading industry, behind only agriculture. The County has become synonymous with “Amish Country” and has long been a prime destination of travelers from around the world, with primary visitation coming from visitors from the Northeast United States.

The Company’s business consists of:

1.  The Amish Experience Theater. One of only three experiential theaters in North America, the theater features the 27-minute, five-screen, special effects production of “Jacob’s Choice”, the story of an Old Order Amish family of today whose struggles to maintain family values and traditions are presented against the 400 year history of the Amish in Europe and in America. “Jacob’s Choice” has been critically acclaimed in various publications and is universally well received by all who witness it.

2.  The Amish Country Homestead. The Homestead is Lancaster County’s only officially recognized Amish “Heritage Site.” The Homestead has been in operation since 1959 and features an Old Order Amish home of today. Daily tours show how the modern Amish have adapted in many ways to modern life, while preserving the core beliefs of their culture and traditions. Many of the scenes of “Jacob’s Choice” were filmed in the Homestead.

3.  Amish Country Tours. The Company, since 1959, has conducted daily farmlands tours in vans and motor coaches of the Amish Countryside to individually ticketed customers. The Company’s intensive certified guide training program has assured that visitors on board an Amish Country Tour learn accurately of the Amish while observing them at work and at play along back country roads.

The Company markets Homestead tours, Theater presentations and Professional Guide Service to both the individual and group markets. Another important part of the business is the marketing and packaging of tours to schools and the group market.

4.  Amish Country News. For nearly 20 years, the Company has published the leading hospitality publication in Lancaster County and surrounding areas. With 500,000 copies printed and distributed annually, each of the seven issues contains news of area events, articles of interest about the Amish, and advertising of businesses in the local tourism industry.

The Company’s long history in the hospitality industry, coupled with its expertise in Amish culture, makes it uniquely positioned to produce Amish Country’s premiere monthly visitors guide.

Internship Specifics

While focusing on the role of graphics in composing the magazine, the Amish Country News internship is a unique and valuable opportunity to learn by participating in the entire process of producing a publication, including marketing and sales, ad design, layout, production, final distribution, and measuring effectiveness.

The Amish Country News Intern will become knowledgeable in the business of the newspaper as well as the hospitality industry upon which its success is based.  A stipend of $100 per week will be provided during the internship based on a 40 hour work week.

The summer internship begins as soon as the student’s Spring Term ends and extends through the start of the Fall Term. Some weekend day/days may be required. 

Responsibilities and Benefits include:

• Gaining unparalleled insight into how a publication comes together, from advertiser sales to composition, from interacting with the printer through the actual printing process, and, the paper’s eventual distribution to over 300 important visitor locations.
• The opportunity to work directly with advertisers who know the “message” they want to communicate, but may not know how to create or design an ad in print.
• Assisting in creation on mock-up ads, ad revisions, and in some cases production of final ad or editorial pages, listings, etc. through direct participation in ad design, layout and overall production process.
• Basic maintenance of existing ads as well as suggesting improvements to specific ads and to the overall design of the newspaper.
• Updating and modifying the website, including the changes required as each issue is published, so that the printed publication and online information and links complement each other.
• Understanding the goals and strategies in marketing to visitors via print and the internet.
• Other related tasks associated with the successful creation of Amish Country News from start to finish. Tasks may include calls to advertisers to update advertisements and advertorials, events, hours of operation and any changes, updating and assisting in mailing paper to distribution points and individual subscribers, creating direct marketing pieces for upcoming issues, mailings to targeted prospects, etc.

 Intern should be knowledgeable in Adobe InDesign (or predecessor), PhotoShop and Illustrator.

 Contact

Christina Glaudel, General Manager

717-768-8400 ext. 211, Christina@amishexperience.com

All contents of this Amish Country News Web site are Copyright © 2006 by Roncki, Inc. All brand names and trademarks are acknowledged as belonging to their respective owners.        This page last updated: January 07, 2002