Monday, April 16, 2007

What Are We Building?

Statue honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps workers who built the waterfall, lodge, cabins and welcome center at Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas
In 50 years, the children we are serving this year will be parents of teenagers or maybe even grandparents! Remembering how their own parents worked with them will ensure that they work with their own children. Our legacy is to create a generational cycle of school readiness, school success and parent involvement. There will be no statue, only a new generation of hope.
I went to Devil's Den in April as part of our annual family tradition of camping on Spring Break. As always we had a great time! The facilities at Devil's Den are more than 50 years old and are not only "still standing" but are still beautiful and strong! The workers who built this facility are now in their 70's and older (if they were in their 20's then). I always enjoy visiting sites that were improved by the Civilian Conservation Corps. I feel a special afinity to the CCC because it's a precursor to the Peace Corps and later AmeriCorps which HIPPY is so closely linked with now. This statue made me reflect on what our legacy will be in 50 years and how proud I am to be doing work that will leave such a mark.

2 comments:

Annie said...

It's a grand place, isn't it Carla. Someday I'd like to live on that rural highway between the interstate and the park. I love to drive there, looking at all the old houses and barns. And then, there's the park at the end.

Carla Denton said...

yes indeed, we really enjoyed our visit to that area.