(Trenton, NJ) – The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) recently awarded $94,800 in Action Grant funding to seven organizations. Action Grants help organizations implement a wide array of humanities-based projects, including public programs, exhibitions, installations, tours, and discussion groups.
Public humanities programming allows individuals to engage in lifelong learning and share in the exploration of history, values, cultures, and beliefs. NJCH supports and acts as a resource for cultural and service-oriented nonprofit partners as they bring the public humanities to the residents of New Jersey, harnessing the power of the humanities to strengthen communities.
Grants were awarded to:
- High Bridge School District, High Bridge ($4,500) to facilitate the collaboration between middle school students and their librarian, a scholar, and graduate students to curate a nonfiction book collection at their newly-opened school library.
- Newark Museum Association, Newark ($20,000) to develop four public programs for the upcoming Newark: City of Jazz exhibition, including a symposium, city walking tours, gallery tours, and a photography workshop.
- New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Holmdel ($17,700) to develop an “In Their Words” application that will capture the experiences of individuals who experienced the Vietnam Era, including Vietnam veterans, members of the Vietnamese community, protestors, and family members of those who served.
- Peters Valley School of Craft, Layton ($20,000) to design an exhibition at the Hunterdon Art Museum revealing the historic impact of Peters Valley School of Craft on the fields of craft, arts, and education.
- Teaneck Public Library, Teaneck ($6,500) to create a story walk, a picture book on signs that members of the public can read while using a walking path in a municipal park.
- University of Orange, Orange ($9,600) to host four Community Musicology (CM) Concert Series events, including a performance and lecture series that builds on past CM activities.
- Whitesbog Preservation Trust, Browns Mills ($16,500) to continue work on Harvesting Stories, an oral history project that captures the history of Whitesbog through a variety of narratives.
“Each of these projects features a strongly community-driven effort coupled with deep scholarship,” said Director of Grants & Programs Gigi Naglak. “This combination of scholarship and public engagement provides multiple perspectives on the issues and questions involved in each project.”
As a humanities-focused nonprofit re-granting organization, NJCH awards Action Grants to support the implementation of programming. The most competitive proposals in this grant category set a bold vision, experiment with new topics and program designs, and balance humanities content with significant audience engagement. Incubation and Action Grant funding can range from $2,000 to $20,000 per project. Organizations interested in learning more about NJCH’s grant program should visit the website at http://njhumanities.org/grants/grants-overview/.
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About the New Jersey Council for the Humanities
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities is a nonprofit state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. NJCH harnesses the power of the humanities to strengthen our pluralistic society. We envision a New Jersey that delights in diversity, appreciates that there are no easy answers, and finds joy and understanding in the humanities. We work statewide with cultural and community organizations to bring dynamic programming to the local level.
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