The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) is excited to announce a three-day symposium to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Keeping History Above Water on October 21-23, 2026, at Rough Point Museum in Newport, Rhode Island.

Keeping History Above Water (KHAW) was founded by the NRF to foster a national conversation focused on the increasing and varied risks posed by sea-level rise to historic coastal communities. Inspired by the 2016 inaugural Newport conference, KHAW programs, conferences, and workshops  concentrate on protecting historic buildings, landscapes, and neighborhoods from the increasing threat of inundation.

Returning to Newport in 2026, Keeping History Above Water: Looking Back, Moving Forward leverages a decade of heritage resilience advocacy and action from 11 successful national and international KHAW events and collaborations with host communities. Designed to explore successes and lessons learned, cultivate a community of practitioners, and inspire action, the 10th Anniversary symposium aims to seek pragmatic solutions   for  cultural heritage challenges in the wake of climate change. Highlighting the growth, opportunities, and challenges faced by Newport, KHAW: Looking Back, Moving Forward will look to the Newport community and NRF’s portfolio of over 80 historic properties for actionable solutions.

Proposals are welcome related to the theme “Looking Back, Moving Forward.” Speakers are encouraged to bridge planning efforts with creative, action-oriented projects focused on historic resources impacted by sea level rise, recurrent flooding, and climate change. Sessions should consider current barriers and opportunities, messaging and community involvement, and project impact.  The Planning Committee is looking for submissions  that:

– Highlight active climate change adaptation and resilience projects to protect historic resources
– Address creative solutions to barriers to project implementation such as financing, collaborative partnerships, and equitable access
– Employ new technologies and practices to document, memorialize, or otherwise record vulnerable sites or important community practices
– Consider climate anxiety and unknown futures through the project planning process
– Highlight policy, advocacy, and funding successes, challenges, and opportunities for resiliency and cultural heritage projects
– Engage the next generation of preservation and resiliency practitioners

The success of Keeping History Above Water stems from its passionate field of practitioners. The Planning Committee specifically encourages previous speakers to submit project updates from past KHAW conferences: What worked? What changed? What barriers were overcome? How have changes in the field, federal government, or funding impacted your work?

Sessions may be individual presentations, panel discussions, or workshops, and will generally be scheduled to last 30 or 45 minutes. Please indicate in your proposal the length of your session, speaker(s), and your preferred format for presentation. Proposals should be no more than 250-350 words, submitted as Word or PDF files by 5pm on Friday, February 27, 2026. Visit the Keeping History Above Water: Looking Back, Moving Forward webpage for more information and to submit.  Proposals will be reviewed by the Planning Committee and selected by the end of April 2026.

If you are interested in hosting a site visit in the Newport region, please contact Symposium Planner Patricia Pettit at KHAW2026@newportrestoration.org for more information.