The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History announced today that it has awarded four individuals with scholarships to attend the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) Forum 2008 in New Orleans, La., from July 10-13. The $900 (maximum) scholarships are available to support registration, plane transportation and/or lodging expenses for the conference.
Charity Beth Long of Charles Town, John Manchester and Carol Olsen, both of Lewisburg, and Cris Meadows of Hinton were the successful applicants.
The scholarship program provides individuals an opportunity to study historic preservation issues by attending the conference, learning from examples, and networking with other people.
The applications were awarded on a competitive basis to West Virginia residents who could 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 had to demonstrate how they would 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.
For more information about the SHPO scholarships, contact Bryan Ward, planning and education coordinator for the SHPO, at (304) 558-0240, ext. 723 or by e-mail at bryan.ward@wvculture.org.
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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