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Westerly Armory Restoration, Inc. is proud to announce its newest program – Youth Leadership in Historic Preservation. The program’s mission is to introduce youth to historic architecture and artifacts to: 1) learn history in a hands-on method, 2) understand “sense of place,” and 3) to carry on the preservation of things historic for future generations.
Members of this program, age 21 and under, begin with a tour of the Westerly Armory where they decide what areas interest them – as tour guide, museum cataloguer, researcher, event planner or director, media relations, website assistant, gardener, and others (see list).
Youths are paired with one or more board members and plan their work on an individual basis for time and project type. Meetings (every 90 days for the whole group) show off each youth’s work. Each presents what he or she has done for the Armory. At one of the meetings during the year, a member from the Rhode Island Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission speaks to the group about what the Commission does and how it is there to protect things historic – and why. |
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Also during the year, youths have several opportunities to travel to other places in Rhode Island – such as Bristol, Chepachet, East Greenwich, Warren, Providence, and Newport to visit each place’s historic sites. Exploration of Westerly sites is encouraged to see how all might work in some ways together to foster preservation.
Already, Westerly Armory Restoration has one high school junior and one college junior on its Executive Board and three high school students and one college student on its Advisory Board. Board membership is a special privilege for youths.
The program is open to anyone in Rhode Island who is 21 years of age or younger and who would like to experience a sense of accomplishment as well as a sense of place and who senses or sees the need to delve into something deeper. The decision to join must be solely that of each young person. Contact the Armory at 596-8554 for further information or email toorobert@aol.com. |
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Since Rhode Island is home to one-fifth of the nation’s Historic Landmarks (highest designation), several “Save America’s Treasures Sites” (each by Congressional declaration), and the largest percentage of National Register buildings, it is important to pass on these state treasures to each succeeding generation. Rhode Island has the nation’s first library, first synagogue, first Baptist church, and is where the Industrial Revolution, the United States Navy, the US Navy Seabees, and the US Naval Academy began. Youth Leadership begins securely at the Westerly Armory and spreads its wings to other historic Rhode Island places. This is a hands-on way to learn and to use what is learned. |
| If you are interested or you know someone who would be interested, please contact Westerly Armory Restoration at (401) 596-8554 or email at toorobert@aol.com or fax at (401) 596-9529. Youths 21 and under can all be a part of this program which connects youths to things historic, involves them in community service, teaches history, and is always fun. A list of projects follows. |
