Ithaca College

Learn more about Tompkins County! Faculty, staff, and students are all encouraged to apply.

The History Center in Tompkins County (THC) and Historic Ithaca (HI) partner for the third time to train Tompkins County Heritage Ambassadors. The Ambassadors support Ithaca Heritage events and the county's broader heritage network.

This six-week training program is a free, fun, and engaging opportunity for interested area residents. It introduces volunteers to Tompkins County's history and rich heritage. Past sessions have focused on the county's people, land, architecture, culture, enterprise, and more.

The next Heritage Ambassador training runs six consecutive Wednesdays, beginning February 27, 2019 and ending April 3, 2019. All meetings are held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at a downtown Ithaca location TBD.

Once the training is completed, Heritage Ambassadors serve as volunteer docents for Ithaca Heritage, Historic Ithaca, and The History Center public events, including HI's That Old House Tour, THC's HistoryForge Days, and Ithaca Heritage tours. You'll join a motivated group of more than two dozen already-trained Heritage Ambassadors eager to share area history with residents and visitors.

Martha Preston, a 2017 Tompkins County Heritage Ambassador, said: "The Tompkins County Heritage Ambassador program offers a wonderful opportunity to learn and share interesting information and insights about our diverse community! I've always been a local history enthusiast so now I am thrilled to have access to the resources and opportunities to gain knowledge for my own curiosity, and to share that knowledge with other longtime county residents, as well as newcomers and visitors!"

To participate in the Spring 2019 Heritage Ambassadors training, submit the electronic application at bit.ly/registerHA2019 by Thursday, February 21, 2019.

For more information, contact Rod Howe at director@thehistorycenter.net or Pat Longoria at pat@historicithaca.org.