Nominations are open for Indiana’s Heritage Trail sites

BLOOMINGTON – Indiana residents are encouraged to shape a new statewide project, the Heritage Trail, by recommending sites through a survey.

Through a partnership between the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation, and the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, the Heritage Trail aims to explore Indiana’s lesser-known histories by collecting and sharing comprehensive stories from Hoosiers of all backgrounds and cultures, with a concentration on typically underrepresented communities.

Heritage trails are recreational and educational walking, biking, and driving routes that provide opportunities to explore and experience regional histories. Heritage trails come in many forms, with many using a combination of informational exhibits, staffed demonstration sites, and a wide range of digital and interactive media to help us learn about our past while shaping our future. By combining exciting physical sites and cutting-edge digital components, the Indiana Heritage Trail will provide a valuable opportunity to showcase the state’s commitment to learning and innovation for all communities.

The nomination survey is available at https://bit.ly/indianaheritagetrail.

The IU Center for Rural Engagement improves the lives of Hoosiers through collaborative initiatives that discover and deploy scalable and flexible solutions to common challenges facing rural communities. Working in full-spectrum community innovation through research, community-engaged teaching, and student service, the center builds vision, harnesses assets, and cultivates sustainable leadership structures within the communities with which it engages to ensure long-term success.