Lake Orion residents are not the only ones to see the benefit of preserving the Howarth schoolhouse, as the Orion Historical Society’s project has been selected as one of 10 finalists for an additional grant through The History Channel Save Our History grant program.
‘I think being selected in this group of 10 is a way of acknowledging how valuable the preservation of the project is,? said Leslie Pielack of the Orion Historical Society.
The school, which is located at the intersection of Silverbell and Bald Mountain Roads, received a $10,000 grant last year, which helped fund the first phases of the project. According to Pielack, the additional $10,000 could help fund repairs of the building.
The society will find out if they have been selected as one of the three finalists to receive the additional grant at a special event held in Washington, D.C. Pielack, along with representatives from Upland Hills School, the Orion Township Public Library and Orion Neighborhood Television will attend the event.
‘The Howarth School Project is truly compelling,? said Frankie Goldstone, a spokesperson for The History Channel Save Our History program. ‘They secured strong community involvement including involving local government, businesses, educators and civic groups.?
Two students from Upland Hills, Theo Zucker and Malina Vervane, along with their teacher Ted Strunck, ONTV high school intern Katherine Johnson and Orion Township Library Teen Advisory Council representative Ashley Klinger will attend a teen summit.
‘Our four students will meet with the other students from the nine other projects,? said Pielack. ‘They will brainstorm and process information related to historical preservation.?
According to Goldstone, the trip will also include a National Honors Breakfast, where the additional grants will be awarded.
Goldstone added that the project was selected due to significant community and student involvement.
‘The students have demonstrated incredible enthusiasm and hard work in preserving this last remaining one-room schoolhouse in the township,? said Goldstone. ‘This dedication and enthusiasm is at the core of what The History Channel Save Our History program is all about.?
Other projects that were chosen include the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s ‘Living History: Lessons from the Children’s Movement? in Birmingham, Ala.; the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum’s ‘Digitally Preserving the Life of Fredrick Douglass, a local Baltimorean? in Baltimore, Md.; and Glasco Community Foundation’s ‘Mining the Cemetery for Civil War Legacy? in Glasco, Kan.
‘Being selected in this group tells us that when we are compared to similar projects across the nation, we stand out and that means we have done a lot of things right,? Pielack said.
Regardless of whether they receive the additional funds, Pielack said that the most important goals of the project has already been met ? getting students and the community to come together to preserve a part of Orion’s history for everyone to appreciate into the future.
‘I really think this award really is our community’s award in so many ways,? Pielack said. ‘Even the original grant, I don’t think we could have got the original $10,000 if we couldn’t demonstrate that is project means something to the community as a whole.?
The project is still accepting help and donations. To offer assistance, you can contact Pielack at (248)693-6718 or Sara Van Portfliet at (248)693-4154. The community is also invited to attend a public presentation about the project at the Orion Township Public Library on May 12 at 1 p.m.