LaSalle and Mendota students win Canal Corridor Association Awards during annual Illinois History Expo

SPRINGFIELD - Students from LaSalle and Mendota won awards from the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Association during the annual Illinois History Expo held May 3 in Springfield.

 

            "These awards are presented for the best projects concerning the Illinois and Michigan Canal," said Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) Director Robert Coomer.  The Agency sponsors Expo in cooperation with the Chicago Metro History Education Center.

 

            The senior winner, who received a $75 prize, was Megan Sack of Mendota High School for her project, "'We Couldn't Win Without Them':  Women Workers at the Seneca Shipyard."  Her teacher is Susan Sack.

 

            The junior winner, who also received $75, was Jake Bernard of Dimmick Grade School, LaSalle, for his project "I & M Canal."  His teacher is Ryan Linnig.

 

            The Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Association (www.canalcor.org) is a membership organization that preserves history, protects nature and open space, and creates destinations where people can learn and have fun in the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor, from Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Illinois River in LaSalle/Peru.  It enhances, raises awareness of and expands the parks, trails, landscape and historic sites that make the I & M Canal region a special place.  The Association manages the Gaylord Building, a National Trust Historic Site, in Lockport, Illinois.  One of the oldest industrial buildings in the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor, the Gaylord Building is a model of adaptive reuse, featuring the Public Landing restaurant, canal exhibits and more.      

 

            More than 1,400 junior and senior high school students from across the state participated in the May 3 Expo.  The students were winners selected during regional history fairs held earlier this year.