2004 Award Winners

The Save Our History Preservation AwardA $10,000 award which honors the preservation organization (historical society) that demonstrates the most outstanding commitment to the goals of this initiative. The honoree was selected based on their active encouragement of preservation in the school system, their leadership and guidance in helping the community become involved in understanding their local heritage, and their resourcefulness in motivating the community and schools in an important preservation project.$10,000 Historic Preservation Award WinnerLas Angelistas Del Pueblo; Los Angeles, CATHE HISTORY CHANNEL is very pleased to announce that the Save Our History Preservation Award has been given to the Las Angelitas del Pueblo organization based in Los Angeles, California. The dedicated staff at Las Angelitas del Pueblo enlivened the students of Belmont High School and the entire community through a project at the El Pueblo State Park which transformed the high schoolers into docents providing guides through this historic district. Initially, students compiled background information on the buildings in the park, focusing on the oldest hotel in the city, the Pio Pico house. With this information as a guide, the students developed a PowerPoint presentation, video, and a pamphlet to be used as teaching materials for their tours through this important place in Los Angeles history. Some of the most eager new visitors to the Pio Pico house were elementary students who learned about this fascinating part of their city's past from tours by their older counterparts. Previous to this project, this building would have been just one more among many, but now it has become a significant site recognized by people throughout the community. By re-invigorating an interest in the El Pueblo State Historic Park, Las Angelitas del Pueblo and the students of Belmont High have helped preserve their local history for community members of all ages and have inspired others to discover the histories right in their backyard.Bank of America Community AwardBank of America, the sponsor of the Save Our History program, created this award which recognizes the efforts of one community with a $10,000 grant to support a local historic preservation project. This award honors communities which show an exemplary integration among local government, school districts, preservation organizations, and cable operators in creating programs which support the Save Our History initiative and its objectives.$10,000 Bank of America Community Award WinnerTampa Preservation, Inc.; Tampa, FLTHE HISTORY CHANNEL and Bank of America are very pleased to announce that Tampa Preservation, Inc. and the citizens of Tampa, Florida involved in their Save Our History projects are the winners of the Bank of America Community Award. THE HISTORY CHANNEL and Bank of America would like to congratulate Tampa Preservation, Inc. and local community members and students for the energy and dedication they brought to the city of Tampa in a wide range of preservation activities and programs. Over 600 students and 75 community members were motivated by the efforts of Tampa Preservation to discover the rich histories waiting to be uncovered in their own buildings, schools, and in the stories of local citizens. Students from all age groups researched the architectural histories of their schools and determined innovative methods for how to preserve and maintain them. Through newspaper articles, public exhibits, oral histories and a homemade coffee table book capturing Tampa's past, this preservation program was truly a community effort. Tampa Preservation, Inc. led the coordination of students, volunteers of all ages, and other organizations all of whom joined together in sharing this newfound knowledge of local history and in preserving this history for future generations in Tampa. The creativity shown by Tampa Preservation and the citizens of Tampa embodies the goals of Save Our History and provides an outstanding blueprint for other communities to follow as the national focus on preserving all of our histories continues. $10,000 Classroom Grand Prize Award WinnerLincoln High School, Gahanna, OH - Working with two preservation organizations, students created an Alumni Hall of Fame using school memorabilia and class pictures dating back to 1914, assisted local fifth graders with an oral history project, and aired news stories about the Save Our History program on a local cable TV station.$1000 Regional Award WinnersPS 56, Staten Island, NY - Fourth graders visited Historic Richmond Town and learned the importance of preserving historic documents for future generations by studying original 19th century documents from the local general store.Belmont HighSchool, Los Angeles, CA - Twelfth graders researched Pio Pico, the last governor of Mexican California, and created a PowerPoint presentation and a digital video which docents will use at the Pico House museum.Castelar Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA - Students conducted oral histories with family members, researched the historic Garnier building, and restored century old floorboards for the Chjnese American Museum.Guthrie High School, Guthrie, OK - JROTC members in Guthrie teamed up with the American Legion to help create a database of veterans' names and information appearing on memorial bricks at Honor Park.Gasport Elementary School, Gasport, NY - Students studied the history of their local neighborhoods on a walking tour and learned about the many community members who had fought in American wars. Students created the "Pennies For the Park" project, collecting donations for a memorial plaque.Inman Middle School, Atlanta, GA - Inspired by the Centennial Celebration of Atlanta's Piedmont Park, students researched the Cotton States Exposition in which Booker T. Washington delivered his most famous speech, inspiring decades of debate about the goals of Civil Rights.John Burroughs Elementary School, Washington, DC - Students unearthed the past through their conversations with older generations. After conducting oral histories, students created illustrations to add a visual element to the stories they collected.Lee Elementary School, Tampa, FL - Fifth grade students helped their second grade friends construct a timeline of local and national historical events. Working with Tampa Preservation, students created a book on preservation entitled, "If Our Cupola Could Talk", based on the history of their school.Longfellow Middle School and Travis Middle School, Dallas, TX - Students investigated the roots of transportation in Dallas with a focus on railroad and air travel and created an enrichment guide about the history of transportation that will be implemented in the school's curriculum next year.Miamisburg High School, Dayton, OH - Students helped raise funds to renovate the historic Market Square Building. And participated in a range of preservation projects including oral histories, historic walking tours, and local research.Morey Middle School, Denver, CO - Eighth graders selected buildings in a historic Denver neighborhood and constructed arguments about their historical significance. Students learned how historic landmarks are designated, and why historic preservation is linked to the classroom-based study of history.Walbridge Elementary School, St. Louis, MO - Students studied how the construction of school buildings has changed over time, learning that historic preservation varies according to the materials used during construction. Based on their research, students helped to create a replica of an early 20th century one-room schoolhouse in St. Louis.Walter Payton College Preparatory School, Chicago, IL - Students researched how their neighborhoods have transformed over time by gathering data on nearby neighborhoods and collecting oral histories with residents. Using maps and graphs of neighborhood data, students compiled their research into reports.Parkway South High School, Manchester, MO - Students collected oral histories from World War II veterans at their school. Many of their stories were shared with the community through newspaper coverage and student reports, allowing the entire town to pay tribute to the brave service of their family members and neighbors.$1000 USA WEEKEND AwardWhether it was an attempt to archive issues of a student newspaper, record oral histories of retired reporters or catalog "lost" episodes of a local newscast, there are many ways teens can keep the history of journalism alive. USA WEEKEND Magazine offered a grant of $1,000 to the student, age 13 to 18, with the best idea for preserving journalistic history in his or her town or school.Sarah Phlipot of Sidney, OH has been awarded this grant. She plans to help her local historical society commit to microfilm several decades worth of editions of a now-defunct local newspaper.