Humanities Update - June 2026 |
Impact Spotlight: PA Grants Support Cultural Infrastructure |
In late 2023, PA Humanities awarded $2.25 million in funding to 24 organizations in Pennsylvania to support programming, general operating expenses, marketing and communications, staff development and capacity-building. Half the awardees were BIPOC led and half were rural. Friends of the Tanner House, who are renovating a historic North Philadelphia house into a community hub, used their Wingspan grant to hire a community engagement coordinator, pilot a teen night, and host a creative writing series for teens and young adults. Learn more. Photo by Friends of the Henry O. Tanner House.
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Federation News & Advocacy Updates |
Humanities Indicators: New Research Brief on Councils |
Humanities Indicators, a project of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, has released a research brief examining how state and jurisdictional humanities councils publicly define their work. (Image: A text analysis of the definitions of “the humanities” by humanities councils included in the brief.) Read the brief. |
Councils at the Americans for the Arts Convention (AFTACON) |
On June 2, Federation President Phoebe Stein moderated a conversation at AFTACON 2026 between Sabrina Lynn Motley, Director of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Dr. Nashid Madyun, Executive Director of Florida Humanities. This was part of AFTACON's inaugural humanities-focused pathway, developed with input from council leaders including Stein, Gabrielle Lyon (Illinois Humanities), and Jason Mancini (CT Humanities). Executive directors from Humanities Washington, PA Humanities, and Ohio Humanities also presented. |
Humanities Council Job Openings |
Humanities Councils in the News |
PA Humanities’ Dawn Frisby Byers is featured in the Pennsylvania episode of American Stories: A Reading Road Trip, a new series from PBS Books and the Library of Congress (at 7:59). In the Missoula Current, Humanities Montana's John Knight reflected on a road trip to meet council partners and the people served by council programs and grants. The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities' Prime Time program and its success in boosting childhood literacy were spotlighted on NOLA.com.
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Federation Advocacy Report - June 2026 |
The Federation provides this monthly update on Federal funding for NEH and humanities councils as a service to members and public allies. Opt in to our weekly advocacy updates. The House Appropriations Committee on June 3 reported the FY 2027 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The full committee action reflects the Subcommittee recommendations of $135 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), of which $72 million is for the Federal/State Partnership (F/SP). Read the Full Update.
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Humanities Councils in Action |
A Path to Degrees for Incarcerated Mississippians |
Six incarcerated Mississippians graduated with Associate of Arts degrees from Hinds Community College on Wednesday, May 20. All six members of Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society, requiring a grade point average of at least 3.5. These classes are offered as part of the Mississippi Humanities Council’s Prison Education Program. Pictured on the right are Mississippi Humanities Council's Carla Faulkner and Stuart Rockoff. (Learn about another MHC Prison Program on the Humanities = podcast. |
Vermonters Will Read Poetry in the Woods Again This Year |
Vermont Humanities' Words in the Woods program returns for its seventh season later this month. This summer, the council will host five Vermont poets in-person at different Vermont State Parks, beginning with poet Joanne McNeil Hayes at Button Bay State Park in Ferrisburg on June 20. Park admission is free for attendees. To learn more about this program, listen to the Federation's podcast episode "Poetry in the Great Outdoors." |
Wyoming Humanities Sponsors "Spectacular" Teton Powow |
Wyoming Humanities was a sponsor of the 6th Annual Teton Powwow in Jackson, hosted in part by Native American Jump Start, a Wyoming Humanities grantee. Council staff attended the event and described it as "an incredible display of talent and skill, culture and tradition, friendship and kinship." The powwow, one of the largest in the region, saw 427 registered dancers, representing 134 tribes from 17 states and two Canadian provinces. Read coverage of the event on Buckrail. (Photo by Nick Sulzer, Buckrail) |
Youth Poet Will Sit on the Board of Iowa Humanities |
Iowa has a new Student Poet Ambassador, a role that includes a dedicated seat on the Board of Humanities Iowa, where high school junior Josie Nabhan-Warren will help shape the future of public humanities in her state. The 17-year-old poet, inaugurated to her new statewide role April 24, has the coming year in store to connect youth, amplify their voices, and give young poets a seat at the table. (Photo via The Gazette) |
Capturing the Voice of Illinois for the 250th |
Illinois Humanities is partnering with the Illinois America 250 Commission and StoryCorps Studios to present Illinois Voices 250, a statewide time capsule capturing stories from all 102 Illinois counties in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Illinois residents are invited to record and share their wisdom, stories, and hopes so future generations can connect these voices to real experiences of life, liberty, and happiness. Learn more. |
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