Project of Preservation
April 29, 2017
Pacific Historic Parks collaborated with the Department of Interior/Volunteers in Service to America (DOI/VISTA) to assist at-risk and underserved communities in our nation, with the mission of engaging the next generation in addressing the concerns and causes of poverty and protecting America’s natural resources, heritage and cultures. War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam serves as a sponsoring site for my position as this year’s DOI/VISTA member.
As a DOI/VISTA member, I was instrumental in launching the I Manhoben Para I Tano’ yan I Tasi — Service to the Land and the Sea — project with Pacific Historic Parks. This dynamic, volunteer-led project engages youth in outdoor education programs and is comprised of service-learning events. High school participants learn about environmental stewardship, preservation and conservation, and career opportunities at their park. Through my work, a unique partnership developed with high school administrators, teachers, park staff and the community to collaborate and build a foundation of curriculum-based service-learning programs that allow Guam youths to fulfill high school graduation requirements.
One of the most recent service-learning events I led was titled Project of Preservation. High school student volunteers assisted in cleaning and maintaining historical artifacts owned by the park. Students worked alongside park rangers to learn about and how to care for historical objects. War in the Pacific National Historical Park’s Cultural Resources Manager Dave Lotz promoted conservation and the importance of preserving historical objects for future generations.
Project of Preservation objectives included:
- Youth understood the importance of historical objects, and the effects of climate and weather on historical objects.
- Youth cultivated awareness on the amount of care and handling needed to properly preserve and conserve historical objects in cultural management that includes, but is not limited to, learning, inspiring, preserving and conserving.
- Youth understood the importance of community stewardship in natural and cultural resources management through science, history and culture.