NEH Awards $27.6 Million for 222 Humanities Projects
Nation-wide projects enrich humanities education, access, local and national programming
WASHINGTON (August 21, 2008)—Today the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced $27.6 million dollars in grant awards and offers to 222 successful applicants. By offering diverse and competitive grant opportunities to teachers, scholars, and filmmakers as well as to museums, historical societies, and libraries, NEH strives to promote excellence in the humanities and increase the public’s awareness of their vital role in our national life.

“The mission of the Endowment is to encourage lifelong learning in the humanities,” said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole. “Each project receiving support today will further that mission by helping our nation’s citizens gain insight to the ideas and events that inspire us all.”

The funding announced today will help institutions improve and secure long-term support for their humanities programs and resources; enrich humanities education; support educators’ professional development; and help scholars use digital tools to enhance scholarship and make humanities resources more accessible. Funding also will provide high-quality media, library, and museum programming for public audiences at local, national, and historic sites; and will support state humanities council programs exploring significant events and themes in American history.

This award cycle, institutions and individuals in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories received support from NEH. A complete state-by-state listing of total grants and offers of matching funds is available below:

The NEH grants announced today come from three of the Endowment’s major program areas—Challenge Grants, Education Programs, and Public Programs—as well as special grant programs offered through the new Office of Digital Humanities. Also awarded today are We the People Project Grants for State Humanities Councils offered through NEH’s Federal/State Partnership. We the People grants help strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture.

Information about these program areas, as well as the specific grant categories awarded this cycle, is available in this one-page document.

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Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies, museum exhibitions, and programs in libraries and other community places. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available on the Internet at www.neh.gov.

Media Contact: Lindsey Mikal at (202) 606-8317 or Elizabeth Fisher at (202) 208-7098