Our mission is to promote preservation statewide. preservationoklahoma
Community Partnership Program and Community Leadership in History Program
“This Place Matters” Community Partnership Program
Preservation Oklahoma Responsibilities
1. Develop program and flyers for tour or lecture to include photos and cover the printing costs up to $200.00. Advertising will be placed on the POK website and Quarterly Newsletter if notice is given on dates and participating communities in time. Newsletters are published March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. All dates and locations must be submitted to POK by these dates to be included.
2. Develop all Press Releases and submit them to local/area/state publications.
3. Provide architectural guidance for each structure if the program is a tour.
4. Provide expert presenter/discussant and guidance for each lecture if the program is a lecture series.
5. Provide advice to each partner community organization regarding scheduling and fees.
6. Provide free admission to each participating property owner (2 tickets per property) to the Overholser Mansion in OKC.
In the event the program is a lecture, POK will provide 10 admission tickets to the participating organization or community.
Partner Communities
1. Secure cooperating property owners’ permission to include home or building or church on the tour if the program is a tour (need 5 to 7 structures for a tour).
2. Determine a mutually agreeable date for the program (in cooperation with POK).
3. Provide photos and brief history/date of construction of each structure to POK for program development.
4. Sell tickets to program (recommended price per ticket is $10.00) for tour programs.
5. Lecture programs are not good fund raisers, but can raise awareness of architectural styles, historic preservation’s economic impact on a community, improvement of property values etc…Lectures are another way to build organizational membership.
6. Secure cooperation from organizational members or community members to sit At each property during the tour to take tickets or sell tickets. Tickets should be made available at each property. For lectures, organizational or community members should be available to sit at a registration desk for membership building data collection.
7. POK recommends that a light refreshments type reception be held at the end of the tour or lecture for participants to share their experiences and learn more about the community, the organization, and POK.
Church groups, arts and culture groups, civic organizations, youth groups are excellent volunteers for contributing food and time to a reception. Museums, churches, Chamber of Commerce rooms are good places for a reception. Preferably an historic structure could be used for this purpose.
8. The organization can expect to bring in substantial unrestricted funds from a tour and each member is encouraged to sell a minimum number of tickets depending on the size of the community. There are always “walk-ins” who will purchase tickets at the door.
Recommended Structures for Tours: Homes, Churches, Schools, University Buildings, Libraries, Separate Schools, Adaptive Re-Use Buildings, and Government Buildings.
Recommended Topics for Lectures: Community history, leading characters of the community, unique events in history, settlement patterns of region, interesting people, archaeological digs or findings, architecture of the community and migration patterns of pioneers to region.
Preservation Oklahoma’s new “Community Partnership Program” is now available for communities, local museums, historical societies, or preservation groups to access assistance from POK staff and board members to develop local tours or lectures which highlight historic structures, landscapes or districts. This program is the direct result of the Strategic Planning session which POK performed this past spring. The planning process helped POK board and staff in developing a revitalized mission and identifying significant and necessary goals which will further support preservation efforts across the state. The Community Partnership Program provides guidance to local groups who wish to sponsor a “This Place Matters Tour or Lecture”. POK staff and board members will work with local groups to formulate their tour or lecture, develop and distribute press releases, develop the program for the event, and provide on-site guidance to community members on the day of the program. Local community groups provide volunteers to facilitate the tour or lecture and proceeds are then allocated to the community group to further their needs in their communities.
Earlier this past spring, POK also developed and piloted a “Community Leaders in History Program”. The “Community Leaders in History Program” encourages community members to meet with POK staff or board members for training about those key ingredients to successful preservation and community revitalization projects which focus on the unique cultural heritage of the community. Community leadership is further developed and participants who complete the program will exhibit knowledge of preservation and its impact on community progress while also gaining hands-on knowledge of the various state and federal programs which can assist communities with revitalization strategies.
For both programs, individuals are encouraged to contact the Preservation Oklahoma office at 405-525-5325 or email at preservationok@preservationok.org
Scheduling of tours and lectures is underway currently for the upcoming fiscal year.
