March 20, 2020
URGE SUPPORT FOR THE HUMANITIES COMMUNITY
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted the state and territorial humanities councils that have been forced to cancel programs, festivals, and other major events that support local economies, communities, individuals, and organizations. Museums and historic sites are reporting losses of more than $1 billion a month and schools, libraries and child care centers across the country have shut down, resulting in severe economic hardship. Councils often create in-person opportunities for support and development, but are working to develop and offer virtual resources, which are increasingly in demand, as they wrestle with the consequences of canceling in-person programming across the nation.
To compensate for the losses and meet the growing challenges for humanities organizations, the Federation collaborated with the National Humanities Alliance to submit a letter to the House Appropriations Committee outlining the many challenges that humanities institutions and practitioners are facing due to the COVID-19 crisis. We are urging Congress to include significant supplemental funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities to begin alleviating these strains through the following means:
- Providing direct emergency grants to humanities organizations that can be applied to operational expenses to sustain them in this time of crisis
- Supplying state humanities councils with funding to distribute for emergency grants to organizations in their state
- Designating NEH funding lines to bolster humanities organizations in developing the digital content that is now necessary for classroom use and the digital resources to sustain communities during this moment of crisis
- Supporting virtual professional development opportunities to support K-12 teachers and higher education faculty in developing rich humanities curricula that can be delivered virtually
In a time where our humanity is challenged, the humanities center us, provide context and historical reference, separate fact from fiction and encourage community and connection despite physical separation.
Join us TODAY in urging your Senators and Representatives to support the humanities sector as it is being called on to make sense of this crisis.
CLICK HERE to read the full letter.
CLICK HERE to take action today!