The Link

2010-03-02
SILOS AND SMOKESTACKS

Silos & Smokestacks Funds Four Summer Internships

Northeast Iowa - Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) has awarded $9,640 in grants to four SSNHA Partner Sites, enabling each to hire a summer intern. Interns will help preserve and tell the story of American agriculture through exhibit creation and preservation of artifacts. With over $31,000 in requests, SSNHA awarded Internship Grants to the following organizations:

* Family Museum, Bettendorf, $3,000 - Research will be conducted on the history of onion farming in the region and programming created around the story to be utilized within an existing exhibit.

* Floyd County Historical Society, Charles City, $1,120 - One-of-a-kind tractor designs from the Oliver Company will be scanned and archived. Intern will also help preserve quilts through proper storage and creation of an interpretive display.

* Motor Mill Historical Site, Elkader, $2,520 - Intern will help facilitate mill tours while developing consistent on-site interpretation. Work will also include a savanna restoration project located on the property.

* Reiman Gardens, Ames, $3,000 - A home production garden focused on heirloom plants will be developed. An exhibit will explain how to can and preserve the food grown throughout the summer.

Internships will begin in May and continue throughout summer. For more information on specific projects or internship opportunities, please contact the individual organizations listed above. The Internship Grant Program is part of the SSNHA Education Scholarship Fund, which supports education programs for students of all ages. To learn more about the program, contact Angi Reid, Education & Interpretation Manager, at 319-234-4567 or areid@silosandsmokestacks.org.

“Providing internships within the Heritage Area allows students to explore new and exciting opportunities right here in Iowa. Without their insight and help many of these wonderful projects would not be completed,” commented Don Short, SSNHA President.

SSNHA is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. The Heritage Area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa. Interstate 80 borders it on the south and Interstate 35 borders it on the west. Through a network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA interprets farm life, agribusiness, and rural communities—past and present. To learn more about Silos & Smokestacks National
Heritage Area, please visit www.silosandsmokestacks.org.

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(Contacts: Angi Reid, Education & Interpretation Manager, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, areid@silosandsmokestacks.org, Office: 319.234.4567, Cell: 319.415.9318; Aaron Steinmann, Marketing & Communications Manager, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, asteinmann@silosandsmokestacks.org, Office: 319.234.4567, Cell: 563.593.4521)