Teaching Preservation: A Thanksgiving Message from the Boise Architecture Project
by Guest Writer on November 19th, 2009Written by Doug StanWiens
BAP students at the Save Our Schools rally.
Hi, this is Doug StanWiens coming to you from room 216 at Timberline High School once again. As we approach the holiday break, I’d like to take a moment to give thanks for a number of folks who have assisted our project over the last year. As so many of you know, preservation relies so much on volunteers who give time, organizations without much money but with a lot of enthusiasm, and driven individuals who support local causes. Teaching students about preservation is in part about introducing them to this community… and appreciating all of those who contribute to their education.
The Boise Architecture Project (BAP) exists first and foremost because our students have thoroughly embraced the fun and excitement of learning about architectural history and preservation in our community. We have grown from a small, end-of-the-year PowerPoint presentation to an important technological resource; from a contained student assignment to being lucky enough to blog for you here on PreservationNation. I would like to give thanks to the more than 600 students who have been involved in the project, the supporters in the community who have embraced the BAP, and the organizations that have respected and sought out what our students have to offer.
BAP volunteers at the Preservation Idaho Historic Homes Tour.
There are several specific groups and people that have been crucially important to the growth of the BAP over the last five years. First, I’d like to give thanks for the support of Dan, Janice, and the fine folks at Preservation Idaho who early on recognized the worth of our project and have welcomed student involvement in their activities. Second, I give thanks to the City of Boise Arts and History Department for inviting our project to participate in several great local events and for their recent grant to the project, allowing a redesign of the BAP website. Third, a big “thank you” to the Idaho Humanities Council whose grants the last two years have assisted the BAP in obtaining important technology to maintain the website and help students provide the wonderful digital images and video associated with the BAP. Finally, I give thanks for a variety of important folks in the community who have supported the BAP so much: Sheri with the National Trust, Barbara at TAG Historical Consulting, Shelby and Tricia at the State Historical Preservation Office, Todd at Boise State, Diane with Julia Davis Park Second Century, and Charles of Hummel Architects. All of these folks have been invaluable to the BAP and have contributed mightily to preservation education and the students of the BAP.
Preservation is important, takes a lot of work, but is a heck of a lot of fun! The BAP so appreciates the opportunity to get out in the Boise community and make an impact through our project. And, the experiences our students have received by working on the project with the local preservation community have been invaluable in return. I feel lucky to be working as a history educator in Boise and that is why I say THANKS to our history and preservation community!
Doug StanWiens teaches U.S. history at Boise’s Timberline High School and spearheads the Boise Architecture Project. This semester, his class of juniors and seniors are blogging about what they are doing in class and in the field to learn more about their community and its history. You can follow the students here on the PreservationNation blog and on their Flickr photostream. Also, get daily updates from the teacher himself on Twitter.
Are you an educator interested in teaching preservation in your classroom? Visit PreservationNation.org for resources, tips, and ideas to enhance your curriculum with lessons that will teach your students to recognize and appreciate the rich history that surrounds them.
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