2009 International LERN Awards - Programming
| Carbon County Higher Education Center Rawlins, WY USA |
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Description: The Power of Place
The Power of Place project started with maps and a love of Carbon County. Carbon County Higher Education Center gathered a collection of maps, each of which is a different lens through which to view our county. We have dozens of maps hanging in our hallways: historical maps, geological maps, maps of oil and gas wells, maps of waterways, maps of wind patterns. You name it, we've got it, or will do our best to get it.
From this, the Power of Place was born. We organized industry leaders, community leaders, ranchers, scholars, advocates, politicians and historians to help us all learn what makes Carbon County unique and why each one of us should be proud to call this place home.
A total of 22 presentations were given over a 6 month period. Each week a different topic was covered including: Strong Women of Carbon County, Prisoners and Lawmen of Carbon County, The Legacy of Native Americans in Carbon County, The Vibrant Political History of Carbon County and many others. The series concluded with a celebration of our local historians where people came dressed in their best to honor those who have dedicated their lives to the history of this wonderful place.
If you've ever been in Wyoming during the middle of winter, you would understand the commitment and love for a program that our attendees had. Even with the wind, snow, darkness and all, we saw an average of 31 attendees at each presentation. The people that walked in the doors of our building were not our regulars and with the next city over 100 miles away in any direction, we were very pleased with our numbers. Not only did we affect a portion of the community that we do not normally reach, this program has increased the positive perception of our school and our community. People now have a better appreciation for Carbon County, what it was, what it is, and what it may become. Not only has Carbon County Higher Education Center become the home to the well-known Power of Place series, we have become the go-to place for information and education.
Due to the program’s success, site-based presentations were planned for this summer. Attendees gathered under shade from umbrellas, with good company and beautiful scenery as speakers gave opposing viewpoints regarding the future of our water. Although Carbon County Higher Education Center expressed no viewpoint, we provided people with the knowledge to make their own educated opinions. The second series is also already in the making.
A book of news coverage for the series in cooperation with our local newspaper was also created. Out of 22 presentations, only two were not covered by the paper.
It was our hope that when the series was complete, we would provide the residents of our county with a deeper understanding of the power of place. The power of this place, and we are proud to have provided that for our community.
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Brochure describing each Power of Place presentation |
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Inside of the book made in cooperation with our local newspaper |
Click on any image for an enlarged version