51 Humanities Councils Join National Initiative to Explore the 250th through Community-Driven Cultural Programs
By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by 51 humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
Federation Statement on Passage of Level Funding for NEH and Humanities Councils
On January 15, the Senate passed the 2026 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which includes level funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the humanities councils—$207 million for the NEH, with $65 million of that budget allocated to the 56 state and territorial humanities councils. The bill will now go to the President for his signature.
Humanities = Higher Education for All
Illinois Humanities believes education is liberatory and should be accessible to all. That belief led them, 25 years ago, to partner with The Clemente Course in the Humanities to offer free college courses to low-income adults in the Chicago area through a program called the Odyssey Project or Proyecto Odisea.
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