Proyecto Futuro

Recipient: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Grant: National Leadership Grant

The Challenge: Towering dinosaur fossils, mysterious caves, and erupting volcanoes are igniting an interest in science among many of Albuquerque’s newest immigrants. With the use of New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science resources, Proyecto Futuro engages teachers and entire families from the area’s hardest-to-reach neighborhoods in science literacy. Read more.

The initiative will build upon past support in this area, which has included research, conferences, publications, and more than $240 million in grants over the past six years. It will focus primarily on young people ages 9–19 and will examine what works, share best practices, encourage more effective programming, and build bridges among libraries, museums, and public policy makers.

Look for updates in Primary Source as we analyze past grant-making, and develop case studies to explore best practices, profile interesting projects, and offer resources and tools. Also take a look at the new guidelines for National Leadership Grants, which feature a priority for model youth development projects.

We invite you--museums, libraries, other federal agencies, funders, public policy makers, researchers, and nongovernmental organizations--to become partners and to highlight how libraries and museums can help connect young people to information and ideas, support families and schools, and stimulate learning for life.

Resources, links, and updates on the IMLS Museums and Libraries Engaging America’s Youth initiative are available at http://www.imls.gov/youth.

- Mary Chute, Acting Director, IMLS

The Latest News
Heritage Preservation’s CAP Streamlined, Deadline—December 1
Heritage Preservation’s Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) will be modified beginning with FY 2006 to allow more museums to participate and to streamline the application process. CAP provides small to mid-sized museums access to conservation professionals for an assessment of their collections, environmental conditions, and historic buildings. Now museums that have been open to the public 90 days or more can apply, as well as museums that participated in CAP prior to 1999. Heritage Preservation's CAP is supported through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Applications are due on December 1 and are available on the Heritage Preservation Web site at http://www.heritagepreservation.org.

IMLS Extends Deadline, Expedites Museums for America Grant Review Process for Museums Affected by Hurricane Wilma—December 15
Acting Director Mary Chute announced that IMLS will expedite the grant review process and release awards early to successful Museums for America applicants whose proposals respond to needs caused by Hurricane Wilma. IMLS also extended the grant application deadline for museums in the declared disaster areas to December 15. Read more.

Call for Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant Applications—December 15
IMLS invites America’s libraries, archives, library agencies, associations, and consortia to apply for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant program (formerly called Librarians for the 21st Century). Under this program, IMLS will award more than $21 million in FY 2006 to help recruit and educate librarians and strengthen graduate schools of library and information science. The application deadline is December 15. Read more.

IMLS/Corporation for Public Broadcasting Partnership for a Nation of Learners Offers Free Professional Development
New partnership resources for museums, libraries, and public broadcasters are available on the Partnership for a Nation of Learners (PNL) Web site. Visit www.partnershipforlearners.org and learn how to--

• Participate in our live community partnership videoconference on November 30.
• Take part in monthly professional development Web conferences that will explore effective collaboration (December 2005 through April 2006).
• Gain more knowledge through a robust online resource center with case studies, tools, and exercises.
• Explore funding opportunities, including PNL Community Collaboration Grants—deadline March 1, 2006—for projects that involve at least one museum and/or library and at least one public radio or television licensee. Interested applicants may take advantage of our grants Q&A audioconferences on January 9 and February 8.

2006 Coming Up Taller Nomination Application Now Available! Deadline—January 30
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is proud to announce the 2006 Coming Up Taller nomination application.

By honoring excellence in after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs for young people, the Coming Up Taller Awards promote a creative, engaged, skilled, and confident generation of young people. Each year the Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and reward excellence in after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth. Award recipients receive $10,000 each, an individualized plaque, and an invitation to attend the annual Coming Up Taller Leadership Enhancement Conference. We encourage programs initiated by museums, libraries, performing arts organizations, universities, colleges, arts centers, community service organizations, schools, businesses, and eligible government entities to participate. For guidelines and nomination application, visit http://www.cominguptaller.org.

IMLS Calls for National Leadership Grant Applications, Deadline--February 1
IMLS National Leadership Grants build skills for the 21st century, sustain and provide access to cultural heritage, support learning for all ages and in many types of communities, and encourage civic participation. These awards help libraries and museums develop models and produce results that help to foster individual achievement, community responsibility, and lifelong learning. The deadline is February 1, 2006. Information about the 2006 National Leadership Grant program and the application are now available on the IMLS website. Read more.

Save the Date! Web-Wise Conference 2006—February 16–17
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has made a $399,197 award to Online Computer Library Center, in conjunction with the J. Paul Getty Trust, to plan and co-host the 2006 and 2007 Web-Wise Conferences on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. The 2006 conference will be held February 16–17 in Los Angeles. The theme is “Inspiring Discovery—Unlocking Collections.” Sessions will explore current and emerging practices for information discovery as well as promising innovations that may revolutionize how information seekers find digital content. Exemplary digital projects featuring museum and library resources, and the paths to their discovery, will be featured in plenary sessions and demonstrations. Half-day workshops requiring separate registration will be offered on February 15. Online registration will be available in early December through the IMLS Web site. Read more.

Federal Agencies Announce $14.89 Million in Save America’s Treasures Grants
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services jointly announced the awarding of $14.89 million in federal competitive Save America’s Treasures grants. With these funds, 61 organizations and agencies will act to conserve significant U.S. cultural treasures, which illustrate, interpret, or are associated with the great events, ideas, and individuals that contribute to our nation’s history and culture. Read more.

"Keeping Your Balance: Use IMLS Grant Programs to Manage Change," Steve Shwartzman, Senior Program Officer, and Robert Trio, Program Specialist, sponsored by the New England Museum Association Annual Conference, Burlington, MA, 11/16.

Executive Leadership Institute III (panel program), Mary L. Chute, Acting Director/Deputy Director for Libraries, sponsored by the Urban Libraries Council, Baltimore, MD, 12/5.

Heritage Health Index Press Conference (remarks), Mary L. Chute, Acting Director/Deputy Director for Libraries, sponsored by Heritage Preservation, New York Public Library, New York, NY, 12/6.