Heritage Project Students in front of the Bruce Lee statue in Chinatown.

The Heritage Project

A new three-week summer intensive for high school students
Duration of Program: July 8-26, 2024

Applications are now available for the 2024 session of The Heritage Project! The deadline to submit applications will be May 3, 2024.

The Heritage Project is the Los Angeles Conservancy’s newest student program. This summer intensive may have only lasted three weeks, but its impact will last a lifetime for the program’s students.

Over three weeks and numerous field trips to historic places and workshops, students learned about those who discovered, embodied, and preserved California’s natural and cultural resources—gaining a deeper understanding of what heritage means and what it takes to protect it.

Students heard under-told stories from various communities and learned skills to research historic events and figures, including their personal history. They’ll walk away with a greater appreciation for local, historic, and natural spaces and why preserving them matters.

Heritage Project students hiking
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy
Heritage project students in Dodger stadium
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy
Heritage Project on a hike observing nature
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy
L.A. conservancy staff teaching students why do old places matter.
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
Heritage Project students overlooking the Catalina rocks
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
Heritage Project Students touching the CBS tiles
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
Heritage Project students posing in front of the union station west passageway to trains and buses.
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
Heritage Project students holding up their art work.
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
Heritage Project Students in front of the Bruce Lee statue in Chinatown.
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
A heritage project student posing in front of framed print.
Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
A heritage project student admiring art.
A heritage project student admiring art. | Photo Courtesy of L.A. ConservancyPhoto Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project
Heritage Project students kayaking with view of the Catalina Casino.
Heritage Project students kayaking with view of the Catalina Casino. | Photo Courtesy of L.A. Conservancy/Heritage Project

The Conservancy was thrilled to partner with organizations and community members across the county to introduce students to significant sites in Los Angeles, including (but not limited to):

  • Griffith Park and The Autry Museum
  • Tongva heritage sites
  • Olvera Street, Chinatown, and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
  • Museum of Latin American Art
  • The L.A. River and Frogtown
  • Will Rogers State Park
  • The Ebell and the Wilfandel Club
  • Historic Central Corridor and California African American Museum
  • Catalina Island

The Heritage Project, launched in 2023, is set to return July 8 to 26, 2024. The program is open to students in grades 9-12. To qualify, students must be registered or entering an accredited high school in L.A. County for the following fall. There is no participation cost, and students receive a $500.00 stipend for expenses. Starting March 25, 2024, the L.A. Conservancy will be accepting applications. The deadline to submit your application will be May 3, 2024. 

If there’s a high schooler in your life that you think would be interested in participating, please help spread the word!

The Heritage Project is made possible thanks to the generous support of Libby Motika and Curtis & Jill Scheetz.