Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:56:41 +0000

Celebrating the History of Puerto Ricans in Holyoke

"Celebrating the History of Puerto Ricans in Holyoke" was funded by the History Channel's Save Our History grant. YouthBuild Holyoke students researched, designed, created and installed 22 panels and a 34-foot time line depicting Art, Culture, Education and Community in Holyoke.

For the project, YouthBuild students in Holyoke worked with the Wistariahurst Museum to explore the history of the Puerto Rican community in Holyoke. Students interviewed Puerto Rican residents of all ages to showcase the contribution of Latinos (who make up about 44% of the community's population, of which 99% aare from Puerto Rico) in Holyoke and their larger relationship to the community and nation.

Jaime Iglesias, a resident of Holyoke, but born in Puerto Rico, said, "I integrate my Puerto Rican culture into my life by working with other communities, especially with the Latino Community." He adds, "The Harvest Festival is fantastic! The Harvest Festival is not just an event for Puerto Ricans, but it is meant to share with everyone. I am so proud to see how our culture and people from other cultures are bonding together."

The History Channel, with the counsel of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), created the Save Our History Grant Program as an extension of the Save Our History philanthropic initiative and is committed to inspiring and motivating local communities to learn about and take an active role in the preservation of their past through projects involving artifacts, oral histories, sites, museums or landmarks that exist in their own neighborhoods. Since founding the National Grant Program, The History Channel has received funding requests exceeding $13.4 million from history organizations representing 50 states and the District of Columbia. Now in its fourth year, The History Channel, together with its sponsors, has contributed $1,000,000 in grant funding toward this cause. Save Our History is an Emmy® Award-winning strategic philanthropic initiative of The History Channel that launched in 1998, designed to further historic preservation and history education. The program supplements the teaching of history in America's classrooms, educates the public on the importance of historical preservation and motivates communities across the country to help save endangered local historic treasures. The Save Our History campaign includes original documentaries, special teachers' materials, national promotion on The History Channel, broadband activities in schools, and has worked with The Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National World War II Memorial, American Rivers and The White House 200th Anniversary. Additional information can also be found at www.saveourhistory.com.

The History Channel® is one of the leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned six News and Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History® campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 89 million Nielsen subscribers. The website is located at www.History.com.