Hancock Shaker Village, Inc.

Hancock Shaker Village (HSV) and University of Massachusetts Amherst have joined to (1) create a masters program offering students a hands-on approach to historic preservation; (2) offer public education programming related to the Masters Program track, but aimed at an informal, life-long learning audience; and (3) train HSV interpreters, who will actively interpret for visitors preservation projects at the Village as they are undertaken by the masters degree students. Both partners will benefit because, with its multiple-focus educational strategy, the project will generate public interest in the process of preservation, nurturing audience awareness of its importance for the future. Furthermore, a new stream of professionals will enter the field, having gained unique historical insight, practical hands-on stewardship experience, and a commitment to innovative best practices.