Ten key takeaways from a first-of-its-kind conference on preservation education, hosted by the School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation

Clark, Brian E.

English

DOCS@RWU

Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger9-13-2012How Best to Educate the Next Generation inHistoric PreservationBrian E. ClarkRoger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Week at Roger at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in FeaturedNews Story by an authorized administrator of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@rwu.edu.Recommended CitationClark, Brian E., "How Best to Educate the Next Generation in Historic Preservation" (2012). Featured News Story. 38.https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_news/38 News ArchiveHow Best to Educate the Next Generation inHistoric PreservationTen key takeaways from a  rst-of-its-kind conference on preservation education,hosted by the School of Architecture, Art and Historic PreservationSeptember 13, 2012 Brian E. ClarkBristol, R.I. -- How the next generation of historic preservationists is educated has profoundimplications across the preservation world, especially given that e ective education means agreater likelihood of quali ed professionals.But while the U.S. is home to an array of quality preservation programs at colleges and universities,there has been surprisingly little conversation among educators about how best to teach those whowill comprise the preservation workforce in the future.On Sept. 8 and 9, more than 75 educators from not just the U.S. – but from the United Kingdom,the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and more – convened in Providence, R.I., to discuss bestpractices at a conference titled “Preservation Education: Sharing Best Practices and FindingCommon Ground.”The conference was hosted by the School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation at RogerWilliams University with support from Clemson University, the College of Charleston, the Universityof Florida and the University of Georgia.A er two days of discussion and debate, a set of key ideas emerged. In the following 10 points,Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Jeremy C. Wells, the conference chair, o ers his take onthe major takeaways from the Preservation Education conference.1. Don’t wait for college – start with K-12. We o en think about integrating undergraduate andgraduate education, but what about the pre-college experience? We can be more proactive inintroducing young students to the concepts of heritage and conservation by engaging them inrelated experiences – more than just a 4th or 5th grade tour of a historic site, where kids arepassive consumers of information. How about high school classes taking part in Main Streetrevitalization projects? To instill interest, we should engage students directly.  2. Link the built and natural environments. We can encourage students to understand that theyare part of a broader conservation movement that extends beyond the built environment andinto the natural world. Whatever is being a ected – plants and animals or buildings andneighborhoods – a joint e ort among preservation professionals and natural resourceconservationists can be a win-win. Re-using existing resources in the built environment meansless development and decreased impact on undisturbed land; and those preserving naturalresources help historic preservationists make a better argument for conservation and re-use.  3. Integrate preservation with urban planning, architecture, sustainability, public health andother disciplines. Outside of the U.S., preservation is more closely tied to relevant disciplines; ifwe can shi  toward collaborating more broadly on challenges facing the built environment,remarkable solutions can be developed. We can help colleagues beyond preservationunderstand that any intervention in the built environment will a ect cultural resources and thatthe conservation perspective should be considered. Now that buildings and landscapesdesigned in the 1950s and early ’60s are considered worthy of recognition and protection,preservation needs to be a part of the broader conversation on changes to most existing builtenvironments.  4. Adapt to evolving technology. We can take advantage of geo-spatial technology tools – GISdata, for example – in how we assess, understand and value historic resources, interpret people’sperspectives and better communicate information about those resources. Beyond simplyteaching today’s students how to use so ware, we need to make sure they emerge with atechnological mindset to advance preservation in this direction.  5. Embrace innovation. As educators, we need to demonstrate to students that this is a disciplinein which innovation is paramount. Historic preservation is important because of its e ect onpeople – to that end, we need a constant stream of new ideas and improved approachesbecause people, cultures and values evolve and change. We don’t want to be perceived asimpeding progress. Using historic resources to bene t people implies  exibility, adaptation andinnovation.  6. Integrate experiential and service learning into preservation education. Getting students intothe  eld o ers the ability to interact with stakeholders who are a ected by the decisions thatpreservation professionals make. They learn to view issues through the lens of thosestakeholders. There is a dramatic di erence between thinking about a solution in a theoreticalsense and facing a situation where pragmatism is key when the perfect theoretical solutionsimply isn’t attainable.  7. Work with the real estate community. We tend to think in dichotomies – real estate developersand preservation professionals at odds with each other – but black and white thinking hindersmore than it helps. Buildings and landscapes need to have well-de ned uses and they need tohave value – developers can teach our students these things. On the  ip side, we can o erresearch and data on sustainability or on how historic properties retain their value andappreciate. We share a common framework and if we integrate, we can turn a traditionallyadversarial relationship into something collaborative and mutually bene cial.  8. Decide on certi cation. There is a general interest from both preservation practitioners andacademics in investigating the possibility of whether preservation professionals should becerti ed in some way. There is less consensus on how such a system might work. As we moveforward, we should examine the pros and cons, look toward our peers in Europe and elsewhereand determine the role that higher education can play in establishing a certi cation to helpensure quality and consistency.  9. Re ne the role of historic preservation as a discipline. What preservation means as a disciplineis not well de ned. We need better understanding and consensus around our view of the world.There is even some discomfort with the term historic preservation itself. Does preservation implystasis – that things never change? Would conservation more accurately represent our approach?We need to envision a future in which we build consensus on these questions, amongpreservation practitioners and educators alike.  10. Continue the conversation – and make it global. In determining how best to educate the futureleaders in historic preservation, there are few simple answers. But with a dedicated e ort tocontinue the conversation – and to integrate perspectives from Europe, Latin America and othercorners of the globe – we can shape the future of the discipline. Technology can play a role, too.With the wide array of networking tools available, there’s no excuse for allowing the conversationto reach a standstill.Share This: REQUEST INFO VISIT CAMPUS APPLY MAKE A GIFTMap & DirectionsContact UsDirectoryNewsEventsAthleticsrwu.eduUndergraduate SiteGraduate SiteSchool of LawSchool of Continuing Studies    © 2018 Roger Williams University. All rights reserved.GMAIL AT RWU BRIDGES MY RWU IT HELP SITE POLICIES WORK AT RWUOne Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 028091-800-458-7144

How Best to Educate the Next Generation in Historic Preservation

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How Best to Educate the Next Generation in Historic Preservation

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