The Delta Center for Culture and Learning staff members Dr. Rolando Herts (right) and Lee Aylward (third from right) recently met with representatives from PathStone Puerto Rico Rural Innovation Fund and Mississippi Action for Community Education, Inc. of Greenville.The Delta Center for Culture and Learning provided consultation to a group of representatives from PathStone Puerto Rico Rural Innovation Fund on Dec. 9 regarding their interest in the National Heritage Area designation process. The group was hosted in the region by Mississippi Action for Community Education, Inc. (MACE ) of Greenville.
“We are pleased that this delegation from Puerto Rico tapped the Delta Center as a resource regarding the National Heritage Area designation process during their visit to the Delta region,” said Dr. Rolando Herts, DCCL director. “The Mississippi Delta was designated a National Heritage Area by U.S. Congress in 2009, which is a major accomplishment. Our management plan was approved in August of this year by the Secretary of the Interior after a quite rigorous review process. We are happy to provide information and guidance to organizations based on the collective knowledge and experience of Delta Center staff members and community stakeholders.”
Established in 1969, PathStone is a private, not-for-profit regional community development and human service organization providing services to farmworkers, low income families and economically depressed communities in Puerto Rico, as well as throughout New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Vermont and Virginia. PathStone has successfully operated a wide array of programs funded by federal, state, local, faith-based and private sources.
The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area is a partnership between the people of the Mississippi Delta and the National Park Service. It includes 18 counties: Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, DeSoto, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Warren, Washington and Yazoo.
The MDNHA is governed by a board of directors representing agencies and organizations defined in the congressional legislation and is managed by the DCCL at Delta State University. More information about the MDNHA, including the complete approved management plan, is available at www.msdeltaheritage.com.
The mission of the DCCL is to promote greater understanding of Mississippi Delta culture and history and its significance to the world through education, partnerships and community engagement. The Delta Center serves as the management entity of the MDNHA and is the home of the International Delta Blues Project. For more information, visit https://www.deltastate.edu/academics/delta-center-for-culture-and-learning/.
