(Trenton, NJ) – The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) recently awarded $43,758 in Incubation Grant funding to nine organizations. Incubation Grants help organizations plan, research, prototype, and experiment for public humanities opportunities. From preliminary content research to launching a pilot program, funding is used for audience-focused program development.
Public humanities programming allows individuals to share in the exploration of history, values, culture, and beliefs. NJCH supports and acts as a resource for cultural and service-oriented nonprofit partners as they bring public humanities experiences to the citizens of New Jersey, harnessing the power of the humanities to strengthen communities.
Grants were awarded to:
• Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs ($5,000) to introduce the historic Apple Tree House to the public and to solidify its planned use as a museum and cultural center that will allow for future humanities programming and heritage tourism.
• Lake Hopatcong Foundation ($3,860) to conduct an evaluation study to learn what types of programs are appealing and will best serve the needs of the community as the Foundation prepares to launch educational and cultural programs in a new space.
• Mahwah Museum ($5,000) to digitize and describe clipped newspaper articles from the museum’s archives with the help of the public to build a resource that makes local history accessible.
• The Muse Collaborative ($4,920) to develop a pilot project for a dialogue/discussion series based on hip-hop albums linked by a central theme for diverse audiences throughout Camden in after-school and youth programs, bars, churches, libraries, and neighborhood groups.
• Museum of Early Trades & Crafts ($5,000) to research and determine what topics, themes, resources, stories, and format will be most appealing for their permanent exhibition, replacing the current New Jersey Family exhibit.
• Rowan University ($5,000) to engage and explore human, place-based connections to water in South Jersey through innovative humanities methods, hosting community discussions in outdoor settings.
• Rutgers University, Agriculture and Urban Programs ($5,000) to invite land and urban agriculture activists to engage in a discussion about complex personal, cultural, and economic relationships with agriculture, in order to frame inclusive models for agricultural education and advocacy.
• Township of Teaneck ($5,000) to coordinate a series of free talks and activities to solicit public feedback for two memorial projects – one commemorating enslaved Africans and the other commemorating Holocaust victims.
• University of Orange ($4,978) to train resident musicians in Orange NJ to investigate the city’s musical communities along with ethnomusicology scholars to determine how people value and use music as a tool for social bridging.
“The New Jersey Council for the Humanities offers the Incubation Grant program to support programs that are in development,” said Director of Grants and Programs Gigi Naglak. “Public humanities programs explore a significant question about our shared history, values, culture, and beliefs. The nine grantee organizations will be able to research, plan, explore, or pilot a program that address these important questions.”
As a humanities-focused nonprofit re-granting organization, NJCH awards Incubation Grants from $1,000 to $5,000 to experiment, research, prototype, and consider new models and topics for public humanities programs. NJCH also awards Action Grants, from $2,000 to $20,000, to implement or expand programs. Organizations interested in learning more about NJCH’s grant program should visit the NJCH website.
