Program:
Operation of York General Store & Visitor Center
- Budget:
-
$100,000
- Category:
-
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
General Public/Unspecified
-
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
-
Other Named Groups
Program Description:
SYPF operates York General Store & Visitor Center for Sgt. York's home & surrounding area, including Alvin C. York State Historic Park. All attractions are free. The store/visitor center offers orientation video, brochures, maps, coordination of tours, headquarters for events, York & WWI souvenirs/books/gifts, food, supplies, etc.
Program Long-Term Success:
Success means increased visitation of tour groups, classes & individuals, expansion of interpretive center, development of exhibit space/gallery, venue for traditional artists/performers, profitability year round. A brochure designed specifically for the tour & visitor center store
should be printed in quantities of 50,000-100,000 annually as it is in high
demand from area motels, resorts & Interstate visitor centers. (see
brochure attached)
Program Short-Term Success:
Upgrade of York and WWI- related gifts & books, 10-12 tours each month scheduled through store, store shows profit for 2010 and a projected 15 percent increase in profit for 2011; production & distribution of 25,000 brochures (attached). Successful cooperative effort with Park & SYPF educational initiatives for upcoming military, educational, historical, cultural & arts events.
Program Success Monitored by:
Visitor center was redesigned within the reproduction of Sgt. York's general store to include distinctive areas: interpretive center, deli, gift shop, "York" gift/souvenir room. Blog launched 2010. Brochure designed & distributed to target visitation areas. Guests sign in to log kept by management. Better accounting procedures in place, new manager, new management plan, use of social media, affiliation & coordination with events @ York State Park.
Program Success Examples:
New manager/management plan for 2010 is delivering profit for first time
since visitor center opened. More quality books, souvenirs, gifts &
other items focusing on York, WWI, military, local history, regional
culture, etc., has meant increase in sales. Targeted marketing to
specific groups & niche marketing has increased visitation. Campaign
identifying store as official free tour launch site has increased
customer base. Grant funds used to upgrade audio visual equipment makes
10- minute orientation video more enjoyable for larger groups.
Program:
Historic, Artistic, Cultural Events & Initiatives
- Budget:
-
$130,000
- Category:
-
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Other Named Groups
-
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
-
Adults
Program Description:
Cultural, historic and patriotic festivals targeting k-college & adults three times per year will augment ongoing initiatives. These will include traveling museum displays, traditional arts festivals, lectures, art, performance and essay competitions, living history, WWI re-enactors, traditional music & drama. A virtual tour will be made free on the Web.
Program Long-Term Success:
York’s home & farm will be an annual destination (always free) for history classes from public schools within a 75-100-mile radius. A virtual tour will be available for download by teachers everywhere. Lessons focus on York’s life, WWI & early 20th century rural culture. Sgt. York’s living children will host/narrate, making history come alive. An historically accurate play about Sgt. York will be developed specifically for the site to be performed there & offered to other venues.
Program Short-Term Success:
By Dec. 31, 2011, York Store & Visitor Center, headquarters for SYPF’s educational initiatives, will be coordinating an average of three American history classes per week for formal tours. York Cultural Heritage Days (Fri.& Sat) will attract 2,000 families, school children and visitors. Sgt. York Patriotic Celebration on Nov. 11 will bring 750 Veterans, Scout, ROTC, JROTC & Guards to Sgt. York’s home for recognition. A living history event with re-enactors & traveling museum displays will bring 2,000 community visitors & students. By May 15, 2012, the virtual tour will be completed & posted on the Web for download by educators.
Program Success Monitored by:
The attempts that have been made at having educational events & visitation programs have shown some success. By restructuring these events & targeting niche audiences, participation should increase. A consistent influx of requests indicates the virtual tour is needed by educators.
Program Success Examples:
In the past events & educational programs have not been definitively established with prospective participants or centrally coordinated between management of SYPF & York State Park. Future activities will reflect core mission of each entity, will be targeted to specific visitors & participants & will be reevaluated after three consecutive years. Visitation to York physical site & downloads of virtual tour are measurable, so records will be kept. Also recorded will be inquiries, feedback, random surveys, participation in competitions, workshops, ticketed events & tours.
Program:
Digitization and preservation of York artifacts
- Budget:
-
$75,000
- Category:
-
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
General Public/Unspecified
-
Other Named Groups
-
Adults
Program Description:
The SYPF is working with the heirs of Sgt. York to catalog, scan, photograph, digitize and otherwise preserve or archive the artifacts, papers, recordings & all other belongings of York. A computer & archival quality scanner has been loaned for digitization, & a small grant helped get the photos & some paper ephemera scanned. Funding is needed for digitization of recordings of York's voice, preservation of materials, security, climate controlled storage, labor for physical work, supplies & contract work.These materials are currently stored in a non-climate controlled storage facility and are not protected from theft, the elements, pests, etc. They are not available for review by scholars or the education of the public. Family has agreed to publication of speeches to benefit this project, but no funds are available to create publication.
Program Long-Term Success:
The collection would be properly preserved, copied if appropriate, stored or displayed for public view, copies of printed or recorded materials made available to scholars.
Program Short-Term Success:
Short term is to fund remainder of digitization project of recordings, images, loose records, paper ephemera. Major goal for 2010-2011 is creation of book of York's speeches. Proceeds would benefit ongoing preservation project.
Program Success Monitored by:
Success will be apparent when all materials are protected, organized, backed up, etc. Publication of book of speeches will be first major accomplishment.
Program Success Examples:
Thus far we have scanned hundreds of images and documents, which are stored on disk. Funds have run out for continuation of project.
Program:
Restoration & adaptive reuse of historic York Institute
- Budget:
-
$5,000,000
- Category:
-
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
-
Adults
-
Other Named Groups
Program Description:
The restored original York Institute building will be a center for teaching and research, as well as a venue for showcasing culture, the arts and history. Collaborative partnerships with colleges, technology centers and arts, history and cultural organizations will carry forth the legacy of Sgt. York.
Program Long-Term Success:
WWI & York research materials available to scholars; delivery of higher/advanced educational opportunities to all age groups in economically disadvantaged region; exposure to arts, sciences, lectures, exhibits, history and culture to local/regional population; destination for Veterans, academics, historians.
Program Short-Term Success:
Short term success will be raising of money to pay off debts associated with remediation and stabilization of historic building, development of a comprehensive long-range adaptive reuse plan and finalization and implementation of a fundraising plan.
Program Success Monitored by:
If we are communicating our vision to donors and they are funding the adaptive reuse restoration project, this will be success. Monitoring tools will change when building is complete.
Program Success Examples:
Since July 2008 when the building was acquired by deed from the State of Tennessee, we have successfully completed environmental remediation and structural stabilization using more than $1 million in donated monies or grant funding.