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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 23, 2006
CONTACT: Scott Hirko, Public Relations Officer, Michigan Humanities Council,
shirko [at] mihumanities.org, 517-372-0029 ext. 25 or

FREE HUMANITIES GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP: JUNE 30 IN HOUGHTON

The Michigan Humanities Council will host a Grant Writing Workshop on June 30, 2006, in Houghton. The workshop will specifically discuss the application process for the Council's "Strengthening Michigan Communities through the Humanities" grants. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.

Last year, the Michigan Humanities Council awarded more than $300,000 to agencies across the state. Individual grants included a wide range of projects – everything from a small award to support a book examining the history of Michigan ghost towns to a $25,000 grant to the Michigan Story Festival. In addition, the Council has also administered special funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities in support of the “We The People” grant program, designed to connect Michigan communities with American history and culture.

“The humanities are ways of thinking about what makes us human, about our diverse histories, values, ideas, words and dreams,” notes Cynthia Dimitrijevic, workshop presenter and grants director for the Council. The questions with which the humanities deal are found in all areas of study, but the humanities are most clearly identified with disciplines such as history, literature, anthropology, geography, and philosophy.

“As a statewide body, the Michigan Humanities Council continues to seek high-quality grant applications from the Upper Peninsula,” explains Dimitrijevic. “Events like the June 30 workshop are not only a great chance for local organizations to discuss project ideas with our staff, but they also give us a chance to meet potential applicants face-to-face and suggest ways to develop and improve applications so that they are more likely to receive funding.”

Grants from the Michigan Humanities Council generally support public humanities programs, such as symposia, lecture series or other presentations which engage the public in learning about, or sharing cultural experiences. Funding has also been provided for exhibits and web projects; Council grants generally do not support activities in the performing or visual arts unless they serve as a catalyst for discussing and exploring art history and/or critiquing the arts.

The Council encourages collaborative projects between different agencies and institutions, and strives to bring scholars more closely into interactive exchange with schools, libraries, museums and other cultural organizations.

“Many Council-funded projects allow smaller agencies, such as a public library or local museum, to work more closely with a scholar or other expert that they might not otherwise meet,” says Dimitrijevic. “Other programs provide funding to universities or community colleges to share their discoveries outside the campus to local schools or community groups.”

“They humanities help to shape individuality and community, and thus pose fundamental questions about the past, present and future. The humanities inspire us to ask who we are and what our lives should mean.”

If you are interested in registering or if you have questions about the workshop, please contact Phyllis Rathbun at 517-372-7770 or email: contact [at] mihumanities.org. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.

The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is the state's independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information about the Michigan Humanities Council, visit www.michiganhumanities.org.

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