Fed Of State Humanities Councils

Programs: Special projects and other programs - pulitzer prizes centennial campfires initiative - in 2016, the federation coordinated an initiative conducted in partnership with the pulitzer prizes to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the prizes through programs conducted by 46 state and territorial councils. The programs were supported by a major grant from the mellon foundation, along with smaller grants from the ford foundation and the carnegie endowment. The foundation grants were channeled through the pulitzer prizes to the federation and then allocated to the councils in response to proposals councils submitted to the federation. The federation received funding from the mellon foundation to contract with a grants administrator to oversee the grants to the councils and collect reports required by the funders. The councils conducted hundreds of programs throughout the country through this initiative. The final report on this initiative was submitted to pulitzer and mellon in march of 2017. Democracy and the informed citizen - a second major grant from the mellon foundation makes possible an initiative intended to build on the success of the pulitzer centennial campfires initiative by shining a light on the important role that the humanities and journalism play in a democratic society. In the summer of 2017, the federation engaged a grants administrator and issued a call to the councils to apply for funds to design and carry out programs in communities throughout their states. The stated aims of the initiative are to deepen the public's understanding of the relationship between democracy, the humanities, journalism and an informed citizenry; increase media literacy by engaging the public in discussions with pulitzer prize winners and other professional journalists; and explore obstacles to sustaining high-quality journalism. Funding was provided to 49 councils to carry out programs throughout 2018. The project will conclude in the summer of 2019. The humanities in american life: building public awareness - supported through a grant from the mellon foundation, this project, which will run through the summer of 2018, is designed to raise public awareness of the vital role the humanities play in american life - from enhancing personal well-being to enriching communities to sustaining our democracy. The federation has engaged the services of a special projects director who gathered information on council programs throughout the fall and is working with a professional designer to create a series of briefing documents that describe council work in a variety of categories. These documents will be used to increase awareness of the value of the humanities and council work among members of congress, potential funders, and the general public. In addition, the funding will support production of several short animated videos.

information exchange - promotes interactions and information exchange among congressional delegates and the federation's members.

national humanities conference - provides an opportunity for councils to discuss information and ideas about humanities issues and programs, as well as administrative and governance best practices. The federation conducts two events annually. The 2016 national humanities conference was the first in a series of three joint national meetings that brought the humanities community together as a whole to consider how, by leveraging their strengths, a broader public impact can be achieved and showcase the fundamental role the humanities play in addressing both local and global challenges. The second joint conference took place in 2017 in boston, ma. The federation continues its partnership with the national humanities alliance ("nha") to increase awareness and collaboration between public humanities programming and academia. The nha, founded in 1981, is an advocacy coalition dedicated to the advancement of humanities education, research, preservation, and public programs. The nha is supported by more than 140 national, state, and local member organizations. Humanities on the hill ("hoh"), the annual national advocacy event conducted by the federation, brings together members from across the nation to meet with their congressional representatives, share advocacy best practices, and present a united message about the value of the humanities. During this event, the federation advocates for funding for the national endowment for the humanities ("neh") and the neh federal/state partnership, which administers funding for the state humanities councils.