Winning council programs were selected in two categories and included California Humanities, Humanities Texas, Vermont Humanities, and Humanities Washington

The Federation of State Humanities Councils is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its board of directors, effective November 5, 2020. The board members include two humanities council executive directors and two public members. States of Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas represented by new members. Read more.

“The state humanities councils have a long record of creating and conducting programs that respond to the unique issues and concerns facing their communities and exploring where community priorities diverge and overlap. This initiative will offer spaces to learn about the electoral process, the role and impact of civic participation, and why it matters,” said Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Read more.

The Federation of State Humanities Councils is now accepting nominations for the 38th annual Helen and Martin Schwartz Prize, made possible through an endowment established by former Federation board member Martin Schwartz and his wife Helen to recognize outstanding work in the public humanities.

We are pleased to announce the formation of the Federation’s Racial Equity Working Group. Federation Board Member Gloria White Gardner (Maryland) and Maine Humanities Council Executive Director Hayden Anderson will serve as co-chairs. The group’s goals are to examine the Federation’s practices, policies, and programming, with the intention of coordinating institutional resources to help enact and support a race equity culture among our organization’s staff, board, and member councils nationwide.

The 2020 Annual Business Meeting of the Federation House of Delegates will take place on November 5, 2020 at 5:00 pm ET via Zoom. Please register in advance. See details inside.

The Federation of State Humanities Councils (FSHC), a membership non-profit, is seeking a meeting planning professional to join its staff as the Meetings & Conference Manager. Previous experience in meeting and conference planning is required to be successful in this vital role. FSHC offers a collegial work environment with a small, dynamic, and collaborative team dedicated to supporting its mission of strengthening the state and jurisdictional humanities councils.

The 2020 National Humanities Conference, which was going to be held in Indianapolis, IN in November has been canceled due to COVID-19.

In the age of physical distancing, how do you convert and run meetings, such as what was traditionally a multi-day, in-person Board meeting? We checked in with our members and Federation Events Manager Tom Marabello for his input. While some challenges just can’t be helped (poor wifi, unmuted background noise, and those who don’t ‘video conference’), many reported positive experiences overall. Check out the tips and resources and share your experiences!

The Federation of State Humanities Councils is now accepting nominations to its Board of Directors. The 2020 FSHC Nominating Committee is seeking two humanities council executive directors and two public members to fill vacancies that will be left by four retiring board members in November 2020. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, May 15, 2020.

Now accepting session proposals for the 2020 National Humanities Conference taking place in Indianapolis, IN, November 5-8, 2020. Deadline to submit is Friday, February 21, 2020.

The Federation of State Humanities Councils (FSHC) invites applications for a part-time Project Director of the “Humanities in American Life” initiative. This project builds upon resources developed in 2017-2018 and is designed to expand on and strengthen efforts to educate the public about the value of the humanities in American life.

New Chair and Members Elected to Federation of State Humanities Council Board of Directors: Arizona, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island Represented

“This year’s winners reflect the intimate connections the state and US territory humanities councils have with their people,” said Esther Mackintosh, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. “From climate change and sustainability to addiction and recovery, these two programs focused on vastly different audiences and challenges, but were similar in their commitment to address critical issues facing their communities; bringing people together, through the humanities, to acknowledge and respond to their unique needs. We are pleased to present the 2019 Schwartz Prize to both Humanities Guåhan and Ohio Humanities for their outstanding programs.”

“These programs saw significant impact in their local communities, brought people together, promoted understanding and broke down conversation barriers resulting in real change, growth, and empowerment in their states and territories with reverberations that will be felt across the country.” – Esther Mackintosh, FSHC President