NJCH recently awarded $37,495 in incubation grant funding to eight organizations. Incubation grants help organizations plan, research, prototype, and experiment. Grantee institutions will use the grant funds to plan or pilot vibrant humanities programs throughout the state.
Public humanities programs allow 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 audience-focused public humanities experiences to the citizens of New Jersey.
Grants were awarded to:
- Bergen Community College ($5,000) to explore culture and identity through food by engaging various food experts, including humanities scholars, chefs, and restaurant owners, for a public event.
- Cherry Hill Public Library ($5,000) to launch a One Book, One Cherry Hill summer program focusing on an inaugural selection that will explore Chinese culture.
- Historic Morven ($5,000) to develop an internal strategy for involving the community in answering questions about how to share the historical stories of enslaved men, women, and children at Morven as the site goes through a reinterpretation process.
- Kidsbridge Tolerance Center ($5,000) to begin work on the development of an educational program about the experiences of indigenous communities in New Jersey and beyond, with particular emphasis on the Lenni-Lenape.
- West Orange Public Library ($3,995) to create an engaging and inclusive series of library-based events led by humanities scholars in collaboration with other area arts and cultural organizations.
- William Paterson University ($5,000) to pilot a new program, The Human Library, which will allow individuals to connect around the diverse set of life experiences of people involved in and affected by war and military conflict.
- William Trent House ($5,000) to develop new programming that reflects a deeper, more nuanced picture of life in early America, especially as experienced by free and enslaved people of color.
- Writers Theatre of New Jersey ($3,500) to initiate a series of discussions and workshops focusing on the process of creating and presenting literary works with incarcerated juveniles.
“In order to bring communities programming that will be beneficial and appealing, organizations often need to try out new ideas,” said NJCH Executive Director Dr. Briann G. Greenfield. “Great humanities programming expands participants’ horizons and allows them to explore significant and complex concepts. Incubation grants are especially designed to encourage innovative thinking and to develop new ways to access and apply the humanities in New Jersey.”
As a humanities-focused nonprofit regranting organization, NJCH awards Incubation Grants up to $5,000 to experiment, research, prototype, and consider new models and topics for public humanities programs. NJCH also awards Action Grants, up to $20,000, to implement or expand programs.
