Program Guidelines Interpreting America's Historic Places: Implementation Grants Interpreting America's Historic Places: Planning Grants*

America's Historic Places

As part of the We the People initiative, NEH seeks proposals for public programs that use one or more historic sites to address themes and issues central to American history. Projects may interpret a single historic site, a series of sites, whole neighborhoods, communities or towns, or larger geographical regions. The place taken as a whole must be significant to American history and the project must convey its importance to visitors. The projects should:

• increase the public's knowledge and appreciation of American history;

• encourage historic sites, communities, or regions to develop interpretive programs that address central themes and issues in American history;

• encourage consultation with humanities scholars and organizations in the development of heritage tourism destinations and itineraries; and

• focus on the development or implementation of interpretive content that tells a significant national story appropriate to the place.

Possible activities include docent tours, publications (e.g., brochures, guidebooks, etc.), driving or walking trails or tours, annotated itineraries, exhibition labeling or trail signage, films, and digital media.

NEH encourages projects that:

• Make humanities content central to the project. Humanities scholars must be involved in shaping the scope and themes of the project. Competitive proposals will have a team of humanities advisors whose expertise is tailored to the particular needs of the project. Advisers should play an active role in shaping the project-defining themes, incorporating a variety of perspectives, drawing on relevant scholarship, and developing interpretive approaches. The expertise of the advisory team should complement that of the staff of the institution applying for the grant.

• Collaborate with other organizations to extend the reach of the project. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with programming partners outside the traditional history community, such as travel and tourism marketers, economic development agencies, community and other non-profit organizations, as well as agencies of local, state or tribal governments. While innovative partnerships are encouraged, one partner should have experience in implementing humanities programs.

Sample Projects

An organization devoted to sustainable economic development teams up with a state historical society to create a visitor center exhibition that tells the story of natural resources, native people, explorers and settlers along a segment of the Mississippi River.

The staff at an historic house work with scholars to identify the roles played by the site and its resident(s) in a major national story, such as the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Homestead movement, or the debate over slavery in the early Republic.

A state historical association works with historians across the state to create a website that provides thematic connections among historic markers found on the state's roads and highways. Visitors to the website can learn how a particular marker fits into a larger historical context. They can also use the website to assemble an itinerary that allows them to follow an episode in American history from marker to marker.

The staff from four historic sites, which each played an important role in the story of American religious freedom, work with scholars to craft an overarching narrative incorporating the events associated with each site. The staff at each site develop interpretive programs, tours, and educational brochures that tell the overarching story and the role of their site in it. The four sites jointly develop marketing materials for attracting local residents and encouraging travelers to visit all four sites.

* Note: NEH will no longer be offering consultation grants for "Interpreting America's Historic Places."