At Vail Pride Day, the Vail Preservation Society Heritage Area showcased student preservation projects. Cienega Construction Tech students are rehabilitating a 1915 railroad house located at Esmond Station K8. It will be completed by April 2017. VPS has invested over 80k to date, taught SkillsUSA officers how to write a successful grant of 25k, and brought in preservation trades experts to instruct our students. Esmond students participate in construction meetings and are involved in decision making. Pantano High School students are learning archival skills as they process a collection of correspondence dated from 1928-1961. Students collect oral histories and young artists from seven schools have created public art murals for Colossal Cave Road.
Currently, students from Vail and Sells are visiting each other’s communities in preparation to create two additional murals to tell Vail’s Tohono O’odham story. A Heritage Truck Garden and Orchard have been funded at Esmond Station K8. All VPS projects are funded through grants, partnerships and donations. They fill a current, relevant need and are rooted in local history. Proud of these students? You bet! VPS is vested in our community and committed to investing our time and resources to provide experiential learning opportunities and engaging residents of all ages in the place making work of historic preservation. Save the date-April 30, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at Cienega High for a Community Forum. vailpreservationsociety@gmail.com