New Jenrette Foundation report on historic preservation education calls for rebranding, resilience, and workforce growth
Preservation’s students should be trained as cultural agents whose skillset includes research and compliance, as well as community-building and communicating.
New York, N.Y. – The Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation announces The State of Historic Preservation Education, a landmark report that calls for a fundamental reset in how America understands, teaches, and practices historic preservation.
Far from a niche concern with “old buildings,” preservation education, the report argues, must become a driver of economic growth, climate resilience, and community equity. Based on surveys, convenings, and contributions from leading scholars across the country, the report positions preservation not as resistance to change, but as the art of managing change to serve people and places.
“Preservation is at a critical juncture,” said Benjamin Prosky, President of the Jenrette Foundation. “The way we teach and engage the next generation today will determine whether the field thrives—or stagnates. This is about building shared futures, not just saving old structures.”
Key Recommendations from the Report
Rebrand preservation to emphasize cultural storytelling, sustainability, and justice over elitism and nostalgia.
Integrate hands-on learning through internships, trades education, and community-based fieldwork.
Bridge academia and practice with mentorships, applied research, and policy engagement.
Frame preservation as an economic engine tied to workforce development, cultural tourism, and neighborhood revitalization.
Elevate collections and access by using digital platforms, architectural fragments, and public storytelling.
Diverse Voices, Shared Urgency: the report synthesizes perspectives from preservation leaders nationwide, including:
Andrea Smith, Ph.D. (University of Mary Washington): “Preservation is tossed by the waves but does not sink. Funding uncertainty is our storm—but it is also our opportunity.”
Amalia Leifeste (University of Oregon): “We must confront existential challenges and transform them into actionable curricula grounded in equity and climate resilience.”
Michael Tomlan, Ph.D. (Cornell University): “Recruitment depends on rethinking financial incentives and growing our teaching approaches alongside our student base.”
Anne Sullivan, FAIA (Art Institute of Chicago): “Younger generations already embrace sustainability. Preservation must evolve with how they value authenticity and access to knowledge.”
Randall Mason, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania): “Preservation is not one thing—it is curatorial, design-based, and social. Its multiplicity is its strength.”
A Call to Policymakers and Practitioners
At a time when communities face displacement, disinvestment, and climate disruption, the report insists preservationists must be at the center of policy, planning, and public imagination. Preservation education, it argues, is not an indulgence but a civic necessity—training cultural agents who connect memory to resilience and identity to action.
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About the Jenrette Foundation
The Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation is dedicated to the stewardship of historic preservation, decorative arts, and cultural education. With a commitment to convening leaders, supporting emerging professionals, and fostering inclusive scholarship, the Foundation continues the legacy of its founder by championing the living history of American material culture.