Shielding our eyes from the bright sunlight, we watched as the tall wooden wick in the center of the rick was lit and left to burn, eventually transforming its contents into a powder of quicklime. Later, using a wheeled cart, we brought materials to our work area and mixed together a traditional lime-based mortar. This was used to rebuild the brick wall of a local home. Later in the week, beads of sweat rolled down our backs as we worked together to measure the masonry walls and windows of a historic structure near the coast. We sketched, carefully recorded our measurements, and then returned to our office space to create scaled drawings in AutoCAD and SketchUp. Surrounded by sun, heat, and positive outlooks, we were also aware that something new was on the horizon for this coastal town; something with the potential to bring unforeseen consequences. We worked together to record the extant structures in the community, as a well-known cruise ship company dredged the port area beyond.
This was my summer experience back in 2010, when I had the incredibly fortunate opportunity to participate in the ICOMOS-USA International Exchange Program (IEP). In a twist of fate, life seems to have come full circle for me now. In January, I started a new position as Programs Coordinator for World Heritage USA. I am now responsible for the very same exchange program that I myself participated in nearly 16 years ago. As I look back at the time that has passed between my summer exchange experience and my start in this position, I am amazed by how truly influential the IEP was in my career trajectory. Since 1984, this program has continued to spread valuable lessons about global approaches to heritage conservation. Hundreds of IEP participants have learned first-hand how heritage work is conducted around our world.
Upon arriving in Falmouth, Jamaica that June in 2010, I was welcomed into a dedicated group
of people, all of whom were working to preserve the historic architecture of the community in the shadow of oncoming construction of a new cruise ship pier. That summer, I experienced such tasks as creating historically accurate mortar and taking site measurements at historic buildings.
On several occasions, my coworkers and I rented a car and explored different parts of the country. On one such trip, we visited the National Archives and other repositories of historical records to conduct research in order to prepare a proposal for the local government. The summer was truly an adventure and many lessons were learned.
Upon return to the US in August, we were reacquainted with other program interns in
Washington, DC, and we chatted as we visited city sites together, learning about each other’s
summer experiences. Some of my peers had spent their summers working in France, Ecuador,
Ireland, or elsewhere. Meanwhile, participants came to work in the US from Chile, Turkey, Italy,
and other countries around the world. Throughout these experiences, I truly enjoyed meeting
many different people, however I could not have foreseen how much some of these connections
would play a role in my future. A few of the people I met became lifelong friends. More recently,
I have reconnected with additional IEP interns from that summer, along with people I met
working in Jamaica. I have now gained more experience working in cultural heritage educational
programming and have worked in this context in the US, Saudi Arabia, and Italy. I view many of
my experiences as threads that clearly trace back to my initial IEP experience, serving to
reinforce the message that our world is interconnected. I believe we will see the greatest
success in future heritage conservation efforts if we continue to work together.
It is thrilling to now be working to keep the IEP moving forward in its 42nd year! I am eager to
hear about the connections that will be made between this summer’s participants and their hosts. Connections, yet unknown, that will likely continue for years to come, some across great distances.
We at ICOMOS-USA look forward to soon welcoming this new IEP cohort and sharing their
experiences with our members. And, we encourage our members to volunteer their time and
expertise. Please email me at programs@worldheritageusa.org if you are an IEP alum with a
story you’d like to share, an ICOMOS-USA member interested in volunteering with our IEP
Committee, or if you are otherwise interested in finding ways that you can support our
programming.
I look forward to the coming months and the opportunity to share updates about our 2026 interns and host sites. Stay tuned!- Janice Harrington, Programs Coordinator | World Heritage USA