The Country School is an American icon. Once ubiquitous across Iowa's landscape, one- two-room country schools are quickly disappearing. Although a few in Amish communities are still in educational use, nearly every historic country school in Iowa has been repurposed. Luckily, many have been reused as country school museums, giving children today a lesson in Iowa's educational history. The Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance is dedicated to preserving the state's country schools. Board member William Sherman is the organization's resident expert on country schools and organizes a country school conference each fall, bringing together country school preservationists from across the Midwest.

The 9th annual Iowa country school preservation conference will be held Oct. 10-11, 2008, in Ames. This year's conference, Perceptions of the Country School, will feature Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, ISU Director of Graduate Education, Program in Agricultural History and Rural Studies. Learn the pros and cons of restoring a country school to a specific time period, how to create a website for your country school museum, and how to beautify your country school's grounds appropriately. The agenda also includes a session on program resources for country schools, information on the country school grant program from the State Historical Society of Iowa, and much, much, more! On Saturday, tour Nevada's historic village, Colo's Reed-Niland restored gas station and motel, and country schools in State Center and Marshalltown.

Sponsored by the Iowa Historical Preservation Alliance, Ames Historical Society, Story County Conservation Commission, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), and Iowa State University Departments of Agriculture History and Rural Studies, and Education.