The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History is offering scholarships up to $750 to attend the National Preservation Conference 2015. The conference, titled PastForward 2015, will take place in Washington, DC from Nov. 3-6. The deadline for receipt of scholarship applications is Sept. 15. The scholarships are for Certified Local Governments (CLGs) and other preservation organizations that can demonstrate how the training will further preservation efforts in their community. Priority will be given to CLG applicants. The conference marks the beginning of a year-long celebration of the National Historic Preservation Act’s 50th anniversary with programming that celebrates and honors the past while looking forward to the next 50 years. Presentations will focus on urban strategies and explore solutions to take preservation to scale in downtown communities; federal innovation and excellence in historic preservation; and how to foster inclusivity and tell the full American story. A full contingency of preservation players from individuals to elected officials, federal agencies to architects, scholars to activists will be in attendance. The $750 scholarship includes lodging and registration. For more information on the conference, sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/training/npc/ For scholarship information and application forms, visit the SHPO’s website at http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/forms.html, or contact Pamela Brooks, grants coordinator, at 304-558-0240. The WV Division of Culture and History is an agency within the WV Department of Education and the Arts. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
