Published on Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning clearinghouse
Service-Learning & Historic Preservation: Benefits
Historic Preservation Holds Many Benefits for Local Communities and Students
Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation
Cultural Benefits of Historic Preservation
Environmental Benefits of Historic Preservation
Educational Benefits of Historic Preservation
Historic Preservation Holds Many Benefits for Local Communities - and Students
Historic preservation is an important investment in the present and future. For preservationists safeguarding the past through its physical remains is reason enough in itself to justify preservation efforts, but for those without prior involvement with such efforts there are many other more tangible reasons why historic preservation matters. Historic preservation involves much more than simply saving and restoring old buildings and sites of historic importance; there are economic, cultural, environmental, and educational benefits of historic preservation, all of which are inextricably connected to one another and to the living memory of involved communities.
Historic preservation is an important investment in the present and future. For preservationists safeguarding the past through its physical remains is reason enough in itself to justify preservation efforts, but for those without prior involvement with such efforts there are many other more tangible reasons why historic preservation matters. Historic preservation involves much more than simply saving and restoring old buildings and sites of historic importance; there are economic, cultural, environmental, and educational benefits of historic preservation, all of which are inextricably connected to one another and to the living memory of involved communities.
Benefits for students: 
- Connect academic subjects to the real word
- Increase motivation and the desire to learn
- Meet real community needs
- Grow as leaders, decision makers, and problem solvers
- Gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them
- Develop as active members of society
Benefits for historic preservation organizations:
- The opportunity to expand your mission and reach out (without substantially increasing costs) by engaging a cadre of competent, motivated young people.
- New energy, ideas, and enthusiasm as well as specialized skills that young people can bring to your organization.
- Increased public support and visibility as students become ambassadors for history and historic preservation in their schools, homes, and communities.
- New partnerships and resources.
- A new generation of volunteers and future preservation enthusiasts.
Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation
One important economic benefit is heritage tourism. Many people enjoy a deep fascination with the sites where American history took place, as well as with the stories they can directly experience by visiting these historic sites. Heritage tourists, whose travel focuses on historical sites of interest, spend billions of dollars every year and are among the fastest-growing group of tourists. Heritage tourists' travels provide hundreds of millions of tax dollars, and billions for the hospitality and travel industries.
Heritage tourism has also been a factor for hundreds of cities across the nation engaged in urban renewal and revitalization. Historic preservation efforts are playing a vital role in creating vibrant, interesting, and thriving spaces for individuals to live and work, keeping both people and businesses in engaged communities.
One important economic benefit is heritage tourism. Many people enjoy a deep fascination with the sites where American history took place, as well as with the stories they can directly experience by visiting these historic sites. Heritage tourists, whose travel focuses on historical sites of interest, spend billions of dollars every year and are among the fastest-growing group of tourists. Heritage tourists' travels provide hundreds of millions of tax dollars, and billions for the hospitality and travel industries.
Heritage tourism has also been a factor for hundreds of cities across the nation engaged in urban renewal and revitalization. Historic preservation efforts are playing a vital role in creating vibrant, interesting, and thriving spaces for individuals to live and work, keeping both people and businesses in engaged communities.
Cultural Benefits of Historic Preservation
Historic preservation helps keep communities beautiful, vibrant, and livable, and gives people a stake in their surroundings. It connects people with their past, and with one another. History is a great educator, and coming to know the history of a community and its historical sites fosters an individual's sense of belonging and community pride. Old structures and historic spaces often present the human scale of history. Their design and construction tell us much about the cultures that created them and about the traditions and events from which our communities and nation grew.
Historic preservation helps keep communities beautiful, vibrant, and livable, and gives people a stake in their surroundings. It connects people with their past, and with one another. History is a great educator, and coming to know the history of a community and its historical sites fosters an individual's sense of belonging and community pride. Old structures and historic spaces often present the human scale of history. Their design and construction tell us much about the cultures that created them and about the traditions and events from which our communities and nation grew.Environmental Benefits of Historic Preservation
It is often more environmentally friendly to rehabilitate existing structures and maintain and improve existing infrastructures than to simply destroy and replace them. Each existing building is an investment of energy, time, and resources. If these structures are just destroyed that investment is wasted. Also, active historic preservation efforts can help to curb some of the detrimental environmental effects of suburban sprawl, including increased traffic patterns, energy consumption, and environmental degradation. By safeguarding the historic cores of towns and cities and encouraging reinvestment in them, many adverse effects of growth can be greatly reduced.
It is often more environmentally friendly to rehabilitate existing structures and maintain and improve existing infrastructures than to simply destroy and replace them. Each existing building is an investment of energy, time, and resources. If these structures are just destroyed that investment is wasted. Also, active historic preservation efforts can help to curb some of the detrimental environmental effects of suburban sprawl, including increased traffic patterns, energy consumption, and environmental degradation. By safeguarding the historic cores of towns and cities and encouraging reinvestment in them, many adverse effects of growth can be greatly reduced.
Educational Benefits of Historic Preservation
The educational opportunities offered by historic preservation are virtually limitless. For both students, teachers, and community partners, engaging in historic preservation efforts through a service-learning model brings home the importance of such efforts, and reinforces historical education by allowing all those involved to actively participate in its conservation and protection.
Historic preservation takes place in such varied sets and settings that students have opportunities to learn real-world lessons not only in history but also in math, sociology, environmental studies, urban planning, transportation issues, economics, building crafts, and many more disciplines. Service-learning is perhaps the best single educational use of heritage resources that has the most promise to directly benefit local communities and build awareness and support for historic preservation.
The educational opportunities offered by historic preservation are virtually limitless. For both students, teachers, and community partners, engaging in historic preservation efforts through a service-learning model brings home the importance of such efforts, and reinforces historical education by allowing all those involved to actively participate in its conservation and protection.
Historic preservation takes place in such varied sets and settings that students have opportunities to learn real-world lessons not only in history but also in math, sociology, environmental studies, urban planning, transportation issues, economics, building crafts, and many more disciplines. Service-learning is perhaps the best single educational use of heritage resources that has the most promise to directly benefit local communities and build awareness and support for historic preservation.
First Steps<<<
>>>Examples
