This post is part of our blog series “Scholars Speak,” which features writing from our 2025 cohort of Preservation Scholars. Click the link to learn more about this donor-funded program that aims to increase the breadth of voices in the Texas historical narrative by placing students from underrepresented cultural and ethnic backgrounds in paid, 10-week long summer internship positions at the Texas Historical Commission.
Scholars Speak: Public History and Economic Development – Communities United On A Shared Mission
During my internship with the Texas Historical Commission (THC), I worked within the Community Heritage Development Division (CHD), where I had the opportunity to take part in a variety of meaningful learning experiences as I worked on my overall project. My main responsibility was to help develop a GIS map showcasing CHD initiatives for the THC website and to be highlighted at the Real Places Conference. While every part of the internship was valuable, what stood out to me the most was gaining a deeper understanding of the division’s core programs which include the Certified Local Government Program, the Texas Main Street Program, and the Heritage Tourism Program. Learning how each of the programs supports local communities showed me that public history is not just about preserving buildings or the past, but also a powerful tool for strengthening community identity, promoting economic development, and encouraging civic engagement. Figuring out how to highlight these programs on a map has not only helped me see the broader impact of these programs but has also taught me how tools like mapping can visually represent the connection between place, history, and community.
The first phase of my internship focused on exploring the division’s key programs, including the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program, the Texas Main Street Program, and the Heritage Tourism Program. While each program has different goals and includes different projects and initiatives, they all share a common mission: to partner with communities and regions across Texas to revitalize historic areas, stimulate tourism, and encourage economic development through strategic preservation.
Learning about these programs expanded my understanding of public history as more than just the preservation of artifacts or buildings. To these programs, historic preservation is more about empowering communities and shaping the future of these communities through their pasts. The Main Street Program, for example, works closely with 170 communities throughout Texas to breathe new life into historic downtowns and commercial districts. Each year, a few cities or neighborhoods are selected as official Texas Main Street communities and receive technical assistance from CHD’s Main Street Program rooted in the National Main Street Center’s four-point approach: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Vitality. While it does not provide direct funding, the program has helped generate more than $5.2 billion in reinvestment, illustrating how preservation can serve as a powerful tool for economic growth.
Similarly, the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program strengthens local preservation efforts by creating partnerships between federal, state, and local governments. This program encourages communities to adopt high standards in protecting historic properties and allocates a portion of federal funding to support local preservation projects within these communities.
Finally, I also learned about the Heritage Tourism Program, which supports heritage and cultural tourism across Texas by assisting local governments, organizations, and individuals in preserving, promoting, and enhancing heritage and cultural attractions in the state. Heritage Tourism’s focus on regional collaboration, education, and leadership development highlights how public history efforts can also serve as catalysts for community pride and tourism development.
I have also noted that this deeply collaborative and community-based approach is not limited to CHD alone. Through a series of meetings with other divisions like the Archeology Division, Architecture Division, and Historic Sites Division, I came to see that the THC operates as a cohesive and interdependent community. Each division has its own specialized programs and projects, but all work in coordination to fulfill the agency’s broader mission: to preserve and promote the historical and cultural resources of Texas for the benefit of present and future generations. Observing this level of collaboration across departments reinforced my understanding that public service, particularly in the realm of historic preservation, relies on teamwork, communication, and a shared sense of purpose.
Thinking about my future career, interning at the THC has opened my eyes to the wide range of opportunities available to someone with a history degree. Before this experience, I had not fully realized how many different paths exist in public history and public service. In addition to loving history, I am also deeply passionate about justice within our society. So much so that it is actually one of my minors along with Spanish. However, I often struggled to see how I could meaningfully connect social justice with history in a career setting. This internship helped me realize that working in public history, or more broadly public service, is one way to bring those two interests together. These fields focus not only on preserving the past, but also on telling inclusive stories, amplifying underrepresented voices, and supporting community development. In the future, I hope to work in a space where I can continue to combine these passions, ideally at an agency or organization that, like the THC, feels like a true community united by a shared mission.