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The History Channel® Celebrates Outstanding Achievements in Historic Preservation at Save Our History National Honors Awards
Award Winning Author and Political Commentator Cokie Roberts Hosts Event Recognizing Students and Communities from Across the Country for Preserving Local History
NEW YORK, June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Winners of The History Channel Save Our History program were honored at a National Awards ceremony held today at the Historical Society of Washington at the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. The event, hosted by best-selling author, political commentator and Save Our History national spokesperson Cokie Roberts, recognized local communities and classrooms that demonstrate outstanding commitment to history education and preservation of local history. The History Channel created the Awards as an extension of the Save Our History philanthropic initiative, demonstrating The History Channel commitment to inspiring, motivating and educating local communities on the importance of preserving the past.
The three grand-prize recipients are as follows:
-- Save Our History Lowe's Community Award -- a $10,000 cash prize that
honors the Save Our History grant recipient that truly embraces the
spirit of Save Our History by building a coalition of community members
to support their funded preservation project
* Winner: Let the Children Speak -- St. Martinville, LA;
Organization: The Acadian Memorial Foundation, Inc.; Partner
Schools: Catholic High School, Cecilia Junior High School and Paul
Breaux Middle School
The Acadian Memorial Foundation, based in St. Martinville, LA,
worked with students from Catholic High School, Cecilia Junior High
School and Paul Breaux Middle School to research and memorialize
the lives of forgotten Acadian children who arrived in Louisiana
after being forced from their farms in Nova Scotia by the English
in 1755.
-- Save Our History Classroom Award -- a $10,000 cash prize that
celebrates the 2006 Save Our History grant recipient that develops the
best school-based extension as part of their preservation initiative
* Winner: Project Adobe Mud-Slingers -- Ventura, CA; Organization:
City of San Buenaventura Community Services Department, Cultural
Affairs Division; Partner School: Anacapa Middle School
Working with the City of San Buenaventura Community Services
Department, Cultural Affairs Division, 30 8th grade students
visited, learned about and saved a deteriorating house wall of the
Olivas Adobe, one of the few remaining Monterey style adobes still
in existence from the Gold Rush era.
-- Save Our History Time Warner Preservation Award -- a $10,000 award that
was developed to celebrate the Save Our History grant recipient that
physically preserves a significant aspect of community history
* Winner: Save Our Settlement -- Galveston, TX; Organization:
Galveston County Historical Commission; Partner School: La Marque
Independent School District
The Galveston County Historical Commission partnered with 3,000
elementary, middle, and high school students representing the
entire La Marque Independent School District to research the
contribution of African Americans to the development of Galveston
County. Their project explored African American heritage over
generations and helped re-establish the forgotten history of "The
Settlement," a self-sufficient African American community settled
between 1870 and 1880 by a pioneer group of Chisholm Trail Black
Cowboys and their families.
Additionally, three other individuals that have shown exemplary commitment to historic preservation and history education were honored during the awards ceremony. As in previous years, The History Channel presented a Distinguished Leadership Award, a Student of the Year Award and a Teacher of the Year Award. The Student of the Year and the Teacher of the Year were recognized from respective pools of 25 finalists in each category. The winners were each presented with a cash prize of $5,000, while the remaining finalists each received $1,000 cash awards.
2006 Save Our History Distinguished Leadership Award -- an award created to recognize a national leader for his or her commitment to the exploration and preservation of history
-- Winner: Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, New York City Assistant District
Attorney and Marine Corp. Reservist
Matthew Bogdanos, an Assistant District Attorney in New York City and
Colonel in the Marine Reserves, was named recipient of the 2006 Save
Our History Distinguished Leadership Award, and delivered the National
Honors event's keynote address. Colonel Bogdanos was recognized for
having led armed forces in perhaps the most important recovery and
preservation of antiquities in recent history -- the international
investigation into the April 2003 looting of Baghdad's Iraq Museum.
His effort fueled the recovery of more than 5,400 antiquities in eight
countries, including the treasure of Nimrud.
-- 2006 Save Our History Student of the Year Award -- a $5,000 scholarship
awarded to one student who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment
to learning about, documenting and preserving their local history
* Winner: Matthew Cesare - Mars, PA
Matthew Cesare, an 8th grade student at Mars Area High School in
Mars, PA, was named Student of the Year for his work "Preserving
History in Mars and Zelienople, PA," through his involvement in the
restoration and relocation of a historic train station in his
hometown. Matthew also contributed to the restoration of a
historic movie theater in the neighboring town of Zelienople. At
such a young age, Matthew's commitment to saving his local history
through fund-raising efforts, physical restoration and community
activism make him a role model for all Americans.
-- 2006 Save Our History Teacher of the Year Award -- a $5000 cash award
to a teacher who creatively incorporates local history into a classroom
curriculum through site visits, preservation efforts or other hands-on
learning activities
* Winner: Lise Marlowe, Elkins Park Middle School, Cheltenham, PA
Ms. Lise Marlow, a 6th grade teacher at Elkins Park Middle School
in Cheltenham, PA, was honored as 2006 Save Our History Teacher of
the Year, for leading her students through the role the Cheltenham
community played in the Underground Railroad, the training of the
first federal camp for African American troops during the Civil War
and the role that local philanthropists played in the years after
the war. Ms. Marlowe had students write, produce and perform songs
about Cheltenham's role in the Underground Railroad. The end result
was a 65 minute documentary and a 50 page book on their local
history. She is recognized for her creativity and innovation in
making an important history lesson relevant and fun.
"Of all the great initiatives in which The History Channel participates, the Save Our History program is one of our most treasured," said Dan Davids, President of The History Channel - U.S.A. "These National Awards are the perfect opportunity to celebrate the wondrous curiosity and dedication that these outstanding students, along with so many great organizations from across the country, bring to the efforts to preserve our nation's history. We're delighted to have our winners and finalists here in our nation's capital for this celebration. We commend and applaud them, and we hope that this opportunity enriches their lives as much as it enriches ours."
"Lowe's is committed to helping communities across this country retain their links to the past so that we can together build a better future, and that is precisely what this program does," said Pete Woods, Vice President of Advertising for Lowe's. "It's thrilling to be a part of this effort which helps inspire young minds to research and preserve their local history."
The History Channel chose the winners from 10 finalists from an overall pool of 26 Save Our History grant winners. Each of these grant winners demonstrated their dedication to instituting innovative education projects designed to bring communities together and engage children in the preservation of their local history. This year's grants represent a diverse and extensive representation of significant American history spanning more than 300 years in 26 communities. Projects range from tracing our nation's revolutionary beginnings, to investigating the history and culture of a community's racially charged past, from the civil war to the civil rights movement.
The National Grant Program has received more than 1,000 applications, at least one from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2006, The History Channel will have contributed more than $750,000 in grant funding toward this cause.
The History Channel created the Save Our History Grant Program as an extension of the Save Our History philanthropic initiative and is committed to inspiring and motivating local communities to learn about and take an active role in the preservation of their past through projects involving artifacts, oral histories, sites, museums or landmarks that exist in their own neighborhoods.
About Save Our History Educational Materials:
The History Channel, in collaboration with leading educators from the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), developed a comprehensive Educators' Manual containing standards-based lesson plans, enrichment activities, and resources that help elementary, middle and high school teachers connect American History content to their local history. The manual guides teachers to engage students in hands-on, experiential preservation projects. The Educator's Manual is supplemented by monthly Save Our History lesson plans sent via email to educators who register online to receive them at www.saveourhistory.com. To date, more than 40,000 educators at schools, youth groups, history museums, and historic sites have used the educational materials to teach over 1.2 Million students about their local history and the importance of preserving it.
Program Sponsor:
For 2006, Lowe's has signed on as the primary sponsor of Save Our History, as the official "home improvement" sponsor. Lowe's will also be the on-air sponsor for the program.
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