The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History is accepting applications for scholarships, offering up to $900 for individuals to attend the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) Forum 2008 in New Orleans, La., from July 10-13. The scholarship funding is available to support registration, plane transportation and/or lodging expenses for the conference.
Members of historic landmark commissions with Certified Local Government status will be considered first, but all individuals, community leaders, elected officials, planning staff, Main Street program volunteers, other organizations involved in historic preservation efforts and owners or developers of historic properties in West Virginia also are encouraged to apply for the scholarships.
The scholarship program provides individuals an opportunity to study historic preservation issues by attending the conference, learning from examples, and networking with other people. Applications will be awarded on a competitive basis.
Eligible applicants must be West Virginia residents who can demonstrate an interest in historic preservation by at least one of the following criteria: volunteering on preservation related projects; holding a membership on a local preservation commission, planning board, Main Street organization, or other preservation related organization; holding an elected office or being employed by a government in a planning/preservation capacity; or owning or developing historic properties in West Virginia. In addition, applicants must demonstrate how they will be able to develop historic preservation in their community, agree to attend educational sessions at the conference and provide a brief cover letter describing sessions that were attended and thoughts regarding the conference.
Applications to attend the NAPC Forum 2008 in New Orleans must be received by mail or fax by the end of the business day, Wednesday, May 21. Applications should be mailed to West Virginia Division of Culture and History, SHPO Scholarships for NAPC Forum 2008, The Cultural Center, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, W.Va. 25305-0300 or faxed to Bryan Ward at (304) 558-3560. For more information about the scholarships or to receive an application visit our website at bryan.ward@wvculture.org.
For more information about the NAPC Forum 2008, call (706) 542-4731 or visit the website www.sed.uga.edu/pso/programs/napc/forum2008.htm.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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