Last September, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced $2.8 million in funding for 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils and other partners to support civic engagement and American history programs that examine constitutional government and other principles of democracy. A More Perfect Union (AMPU) awarded each humanities council $50,000 to develop scholar-led humanities projects in their local communities through September 30, 2022 to reflect on, study, and discuss American history and the rights and responsibilities of active citizenship. The AMPU initiative also helps commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
As AMPU-funded projects begin their last month of programming, humanities councils continue to work hard at deepening the understanding and commitment to unity, equality, liberty, and representative governance. Here are a few of the many successful council programs that have been made possible by NEH’s A More Perfect Union funding.
LGBTQIA+ Representation Matters
As part of its Representation Matters series, Arizona Humanities will host an event on September 21 that examines how LGBTQIA+ communities have been represented in the media and popular culture since the 1970’s. This talk will also consider the politization of classroom conversations. Learn more.
Community Perspectives on History Podcasts
Delaware Humanities has been producing an Identity podcast series that features various community perspectives about Delaware’s History. Learn more about how culture, community, health, environment, media, and histories have made Delaware the state that it is today.
Elementary School Teacher’s Curriculum Guide
Kentucky Humanities provided 60 elementary schools with ten copies of six different books to assist with civics education across the state, along with a curriculum guide for teachers to use when reading these books with students. Visit www.kyhumanities.org for a descriptions of the books selected.
The Freedom Tour
What does freedom mean to you? Mississippi Humanities has been organizing a series of panel sessions across the state to discuss what freedom means to various communities—and how individual perspectives can further shape how freedom is understood. Learn more.
Diverse-Perspectives Speakers Bureau
Humanities Nebraska is serving as a statewide resource for booking speakers with diverse perspectives about U.S history through its speakers bureau. Non-profit organizations throughout Nebraska can apply to book speakers to give many presentations. Learn more and view the speaker list.
Let’s Talk About It Discussion Groups
Oklahoma Humanities has designed a series of reading and discussion groups to pursue topics centered around a society that is more sustainable, inclusive, and just. Applications to host a discussion group are available on www.okhumanities.org, which also lists additional events made possible by AMPU funding.
Written by: Carrie deGuzman
