The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History is accepting applications for scholarships, offering up to $600 for individuals to attend The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) Forum in Baltimore, Md. from July 26-30, or $700 to attend The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., from Oct. 31 - Nov. 5. The funding is available to support registration and lodging expenses for the conferences.
Members of historic landmark commissions will be considered first, but elected officials, planning staff, Main Street Program volunteers, community leaders, 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 group; holding an elected office; being a government employee dealing with planning/preservation issues; 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 what conference you attended and your thoughts about it.
Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate that participation will assist in addressing a local issue, training will be provided to a novice or professional in the field of historic preservation, and attendance to the conference is not possible without the scholarship funds.
Applications to attend the NACP Forum in Baltimore must be received by mail or fax by the end of the business day, Thursday, June 29. The application deadline for the NTHP Conference in Pittsburgh is the end of the business day, Thursday, Sept. 28.
For more information about the conference or to receive an application, contact Chris Knorr, assistant director of the SHPO, at (304) 558-0240, ext. 156, or from our website at www.wvculture.org/shpo/forms.html. Mailed applications should be directed to Knorr at SHPO, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, the Cultural Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd., E., Charleston, W.Va. 25305-0300. They also can be faxed to him at (304) 558-3560.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, 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. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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