To celebrate Preservation Month in May 2009, the Kentucky Heritage Council and Preservation Kentucky, Inc. are pleased to announce the Photo-Essay Competition for all Kentucky school students. This year’s theme will be Preserving the Spirit of Home. Students should select an older building, site or structure in their community and reflect on how its preservation helps to maintain a unique character for the community. Historic buildings often make us feel at “home” and hold memories that contribute to the unique spirit of a place. Students may want to discuss how a certain historic building makes them feel at home, or how the loss of a historic building has or could create a loss in their community spirit and sense of place.
Entries should be thoughtful and creative essays about the importance of preserving Kentucky’s historic resources for future generations. For the competition, in addition to completing an essay, students must also photograph the historic building or structure that inspires the essay. Additionally, students are required to submit a copy of their essay to at least one local decision-maker (mayor, city council / commission member, county judge/executive, magistrate, school board member, etc.) in addition to judges. The entry form asks students to identify to whom the letter was sent.
The Kentucky Heritage Council and Preservation Kentucky hope that the Photo-Essay Competition will stimulate young people’s interest in historic preservation and will provide an opportunity for students to interact with their local decision-makers regarding the importance of historic preservation.
The Kentucky Heritage Council and Preservation Kentucky, Inc. will select first, second, and third place essays from three categories:
Primary (Grades 1-5)
Intermediate (Grades 6-8)
Secondary (Grades 9-12)
• The school submitting the most entries to the 2009 Competition will also be
recognized and presented with an award for participation.
Photo-essay winners will receive cash awards and other prizes and all competition participants will receive a certificate of recognition. Photo-essay winners will present their winning essays and photographs and will be recognized at a celebration in May 2009.
The Kentucky Heritage Council serves as the State Historic Preservation Office. Preservation Kentucky, Inc. is a statewide, nonprofit preservation organization and Statewide Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
