CPI Foundation
National Park Military Training Program
CPI is a non-profit education foundation that partners with the US National Park Service and operates with support from organizations and industry.
The Concrete Preservation Institute (CPI) is a nonprofit public benefit organization structured and operated exclusively for charitable purposes to provide training and education in historic preservation, stewardship, repair, and research of concrete cultural resources. Our participants are college students, local high school graduates, and post 9/11 military veterans. Although the experience is inspiring and potentially life-changing for all participants, military veterans tend to identify particularly well with the experience and sites that are uniquely well suited to help them acclimatize and find their path forward after their military service. We partner with the National Park Service (NPS), the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy (Conservancy), local communities, and concrete, construction, and other industries to make our program available in three 12 week sessions each year. In addition to advancing concrete repair and preservation on a board scale, we focus on providing youth mentorship through community-based service learning projects and helping our young adult participants develop into future leaders or valued vocational employees, engaged park stewards, and responsible citizens.
CPI Foundation Directors are internationally respected leaders in the concrete, preservation, and education communities. Together with their highly qualified staff who bring extensive practical experience and passion for repair and preservation, they began their commitment to education at landmark sites in 2008 with evaluation work at Pointe du Hoc, the WWII D-Day Landing site at Normandy Beach in France.
In partnership with NPS, CPI’s leadership and staff have lead Preservation Stewardship Field School activities since 2010 at Alcatraz Island. The Island is a national historic landmark within NPS’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) that receives on average 5000 visitors each day. While our activities have focused on Alcatraz, we engage in projects throughout the greater GGNRA and plan to expand the program. Due to our tremendous success in meeting our goals, including remarkable alumni job placement with world-wide leading companies, and becoming a valued NPS partner, we are in discussions to develop additional field school locations at other National Parks and historic sites.
Institute participants spend 12 weeks learning about, planning, managing, and implementing concrete preservation projects while enjoying an immersive, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In addition to interaction with their teammates and CPI leadership, participants regularly engage with historical architects, conservationists, engineers, industry experts, material and equipment experts, archaeologists, biologists, college professors, NPS visitors, and possible future employers. These frequent interactions are exceptional learning and professional opportunities and help build an appreciation for the complexities of preservation and repair in an environment that values both natural and cultural resource preservation. Each participant serves as a student manager for one aspect of their team project, such as Student Team Leader or Safety Manager. They are given extensive guidance and the resources they need to succeed regardless of prior experience and held accountable for results. Participants serve as mentors for local youth during at least one community service project – this has traditionally become a favorite CPI memory among alumni. Whether they are on college, vocational, or career pathways following their CPI experience, these collective activities help participants build valuable skills, knowledge, confidence, and character as well as gain leadership perspectives, teamwork strategies, and communication abilities with diverse audiences.
CPI is a unique public/private partnership model that is sustained by funding, scholarships, and in-kind donations from concrete, construction and other industries as well as NPS and the Conservancy. Beyond this support, our partners and sponsors are actively engaged in CPI programs through executive visits to project sites, experts serving as guest instructors, individuals participating as guest mentors or learners themselves for continuing education, research and development partnerships, and company representatives actively hiring our alumni. Through generous support, CPI not only sustains and grows its activities and impact, but also provides scholarships to worthy participants. We welcome individuals or groups to support the Institute as donors or sponsors or otherwise get involved at this and future Institute locations.
The proven CPI living classroom model collaboratively developed with the National Park Service and the concrete industry is based on the need for education, research, and preservation of buildings, landscape features, and infrastructure within National Parks. Our broader impact, however, goes beyond that by offering talent and knowledge development that advances preservation and even sustainable new construction in towns and cities, state and federal transportation systems, and for the world's vast concrete infrastructure.
Together with our partners and sponsors, CPI engages in support of multi-generational, cross-cultural, diverse-background individuals, with a particular focus on helping develop the futures of military veterans. We collectively participate in living history, fulfill needs bigger than any one individual, and contribute to a stronger, more durable and sustainable built environment.
Based on a commitment to all stakeholders, CPI holds itself to high quality, world-class standards but always remains committed to measuring success one participant at a time.