New York Council For The Humanities

THE NEW YORK COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES PROVIDES LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT ACROSS THE STATE'S INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL SECTORS THROUGH GRANTS, PROGRAMS, NETWORKING AND ADVOCACY IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE CRITICAL THINKING AND CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING IN THE PUBLIC ARENA.

HNY GRANT-MAKING:THE HUMANITIES HELP US TALK ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND THE IDEAS THAT DEFINE US AS INDIVIDUALS AND CONNECT US AS COMMUNITIES. THEY TEACH NEW YORKERS HOW, NOT WHAT, TO THINK. HUMANITIES NEW YORK GRANTS HELP COMMUNITIES USE THE HUMANITIES TO ARTICULATE THEIR IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. HUMANITIES NEW YORK GRANTS SUPPORT PROJECT TEAMS WITH HUMANITIES EXPERTISE AND PROJECTS THAT USE THE TOOLS OF THE HUMANITIES TO ENGAGE PUBLIC, NON-SPECIALIZED AUDIENCES. HUMANITIES NEW YORK OFFERS THREE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS. VISION GRANTS ($500 TO $1,500) HELP GROUPS DEVELOP PLANS FOR PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT ARE BUILT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS. ACTION GRANTS ($1,500 TO $5,000) HELP ORGANIZATIONS LAUNCH PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMS THAT ARE DYNAMIC, RESPONSIVE, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING. QUICK GRANTS ($500) ARE AVAILABLE TO ORGANIZATIONS WITH OPERATING BUDGETS OF LESS THAN $250,000 FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMS. HNY SHARP OPERATING GRANTS (UP TO $20,000) PROVIDED EMERGENCY RELIEF TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ENABLED THEM TO CONTINUE SERVING THEIR AUDIENCES THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.TOTAL COST FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS $2,074,900.

HUMANITIES CENTER INITIATIVE (HCI):HUMANITIES NEW YORK IS THE HUB OF THE HUMANITIES CENTERS INITIATIVE, AN INNOVATIVE STATEWIDE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN NINE UNIVERSITY-BASED HUMANITIES CENTERS. LAUNCHED IN 2012, THE HCI SUPPORTS HUMANITIES INSTITUTES, FACULTY, AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THEIR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. THERE ARE THREE ASPECTS OF THE HUMANITIES CENTERS INITIATIVE: PUBLIC HUMANITIES GRANTS FOR ADVANCED GRADUATE STUDENTS TO WORK WITH A COMMUNITY GROUP OR NON-PROFIT ON A PUBIC PROJECT; COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP GRANTS TO BRING TOGETHER HUMANITIES CENTERS WITH LOCAL PROGRAM PARTNERS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING; AND JOINT ADVOCACY TO INSURE A ROBUST FUTURE FOR THE HUMANITIES IN NEW YORK STATE BY SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE TO FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEGISLATORS. PARTICIPATING HUMANITIES CENTERS INCLUDE CORNELL UNIVERSITY SOCIETY FOR THE HUMANITIES, CUNY GRADUATE CENTER'S CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES, THE CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, THE HEYMAN CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY HUMANITIES CENTER, THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO'S HUMANITIES INSTITUTE, STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY'S HUMANITIES INSTITUTE, THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN THE HUMANITIES AT BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER HUMANITIES CENTER.DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $292,284 WERE EXPENDED ON THIS PROGRAM.

READING AND DISCUSSION (R&D):THE READING AND DISCUSSION PROGRAM OFFERS TIME FOR PARTICIPANTS TO THINK DEEPLY ABOUT A SINGLE IDEA FROM A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES. IN THE PROCESS, TEXTS BECOME CATALYSTS FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, AND PERSONAL REFLECTION. PARTICIPANTS READ A SERIES OF THEMATICALLY LINKED TEXTS OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR TO SIX SESSIONS. AT EACH SESSION, THEY COME TOGETHER WITH OTHERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE IDEAS IN THOSE TEXTS, GUIDED BY A TRAINED LOCAL FACILITATOR. THEMES RANGE FROM "JAMES BALDWIN'S AMERICA AND "GROWING & AGING" TO THE VIETNAM WAR AND THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT. HOST ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFY A THEME RELEVANT TO THEIR COMMUNITY, HOW MANY SESSIONS THEY PLAN TO HOST, AND PARTNER WITH A LOCAL HUMANIST TO FACILITATE THE PROGRAM. HNY TRAINS BOTH THE HOST SITE AND THE FACILITATOR ON BEST PRACTICES FOR GENERATING DISCUSSION AND DRAWING IN MULTIPLE VOICES. HNY PAYS AN HONORARIUM TO THE SCHOLAR OF $200/SESSION, PROVIDES A LENDING LIBRARY OF BOOKS FOR EACH THEME, AND PAYS THE COST OF FREIGHT FOR BOOKS TO AND FROM THE HOST SITE. PARTICIPANTS, RECRUITED BY THE HOST ORGANIZATIONS, ATTEND THE PROGRAMS FOR FREE. HNY'S PROGRAM OFFICER REVIEWS ALL APPLICATIONS, AND ALL THAT DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO ATTRACT AN AUDIENCE AND HOST THE PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY ARE AWARDED, SO LONG AS FUNDING PERMITS. IF NECESSARY, HUMANITIES NEW YORK GIVES PREFERENCE BASED ON GEOGRAPHY AND NEW PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO INSURE OUR RESOURCES REACH NEW AUDIENCES AND UNDERSERVED AREAS OF THE STATE. TOTAL COST FOR R&D WAS $163,421.

OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, HUMANITIES NEW YORK EVENTS/WHY IT MATTERS, POST-INCARCERATION PUBLIC HUMANITIES GRANT, THE WOMEN'S HISTORY PODCAST, PARTNERSHIPS AND CONVENING, AND GARDINER.