Whether helping install a Smithsonian traveling exhibit, preserving headstones in a local cemetery or nominating buildings for the National Register of Historic Places, students are at the heart of projects that matter.

“I feel very, very grateful to be a part of the preservation department and Old Town Cape,” said Bailee O’Neal, a historic preservation major. “The opportunities I’ve been given have allowed me to flourish as a preservationist and as a student. I’m using the skills I came in with, expanding on them, and preparing for the career I want.”

Tell me more about Historic Preservation

Experiential learning is embedded in every aspect of SEMO’s program. Through a wide range of community partnerships, including Old Town Cape, the Cape Girardeau County History Center, SEMO Special Collections, and the Malone Park Center for the Arts, students regularly contribute to museum exhibits, archival research, oral history interviews and public history events.

“Our partnerships give students practical experience in public history, historic preservation and museum work. All fields that are rooted in community and storytelling,” said Dr. Steven Hoffman, professor in the Department of History and Anthropology, and historic preservation specialist. “It’s not just academic. These projects allow students to make a real impact.”

Recent student-led projects include:

• Supporting the setup and community engagement for a Smithsonian exhibit at the Malone Park Center for the Arts
• Conducting documentation and research for SEMO’s Dearmont Hall preservation efforts
• Volunteering at the Missouri Main Street Conference and with the State Historical Society of Missouri
• Assisting with museum work at the Sikeston Rodeo Museum
• Cleaning and preserving historic headstones at Old Lorimier Cemetery

Students also play key roles in nominating local landmarks, like the Lincoln School in Sikeston and Turner Hall in Cape Girardeau, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. These efforts don’t just build skills in research and writing; they help secure funding and recognition for the sites students care about.

“I chose SEMO because we’re one of the few schools that offers this kind of program,” said O’Neal, of SEMO’s historic preservation program that’s the only one in Missouri and one of only nine in the nation. “I love Main Street work and site administration, and I’ve gotten a ton of experience in both here at SEMO.”

For students passionate about history, storytelling and hands-on work, SEMO offers something truly unique: a nationally certified program where learning is immersive, community-focused and career-driven.

Explore historic preservation at Southeast Missouri State University at semo.edu/preservehistory.