AUGUSTA FREE PRESS

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger has announced a federal grant of $10,500 for a Virginia National Guard Museum project to highlight Virginia’s military history and to educate students about the preservation process.

“Virginia has a proud tradition of military service and strong respect for the men and women who keep our communities safe. The preservation of artifacts related to the Virginia National Guard is critical to highlighting this aspect of Virginia’s history, increasing access to educational opportunities, and exploring new ways to honor those who have risked their lives in the defense of our country,” said Spanberger. “I’m proud to announce these funds for the Virginia National Guard Museum, and I look forward to monitoring the progress of the students tasked with preserving access to the museum’s collections. Through their work, the next generation will have a better understanding of the vital mission of installations like Fort Pickett here in the Seventh District.”

These federal funds are distributed as follows:

Virginia Department of Military Affairs: $10,500 to provide local students the opportunity to learn more about preserving artifacts important to Virginia’s history, specially related to the Virginia National Guard. Through these funds, the museum will partner with Virginia Commonwealth University to recruit, hire, and train two students to assist in the museum curation process. Additionally, these students will be able to present the progress of their work at a professional conference.

The grant funding award is made possible through the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ “Inspire! Grants for Small Museums” program, which helps small museums apply for federal funding for new projects that highlight local history. You can learn more about this program here.