Missouri Humanities Council

SLSO Beethoven 9th Symphony Saturday on the Web

2009-05-05T14:47:00.004-05:00

This Saturday Night, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's sold-out concert of Beethoven's 9th Symphony will be broadcast live on KFUO Classic 99. If you're not in listening range, but have an internet connection that permits streaming audio, you can listen LIVE to the concert by going to http://www.classic99.com/ and clicking on the green square under the words ‘Listen Live’ in the upper left hand corner of the homepage. The performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Central Time, but there may be some pre-concert talk on the schedule before 8.

The program notes are always superb at Powell Symphony Hall. You can read them, too, on the SLSO web site.

Beethoven was at the height of his powers when he composed this breakthrough piece of music. There had never before been a choral movement in a symphony, never a passage of "recitative" for the orchestral basses, and never the sound of cymbals and triangle. I remember when I used to listen to a recording of this final movement during breakfast in my senior year in high school. I was always charmed by the sound of what I took to be a little town band, with its cymbal and triangle, as they tooted away on the little tune that would later turn out to be a majestic melody for Schiller's "Ode to Joy."

I feel so privileged to be a part of the symphony chorus! I always feel as if I have the best seat in the house because I'm right there with all the other musicians and I can see Maestro David Robertson's expressions as he shapes the performance.

Someone wrote once that "great music is about great ideas." I don't agree with that as it stands. I think the greatness of music is in the exceptional deployment of musical ideas. A composer of Beethoven's intelligence works at the atomic level; he fashions ideas from atoms...a couple of notes or intervals, or a few notes with a distinctive rhythm. Then he puts those atoms together in different contexts, and you hardly realize the unity of the mind behind the whole work.

The same idea of composing several related things from a single theme is present in The Music Man by Meredith Wilson. If you slow down "Seventy Six Trombones" and give it a different background and different lyrics, you have "Goodnight, My Someone." It's not the same idea as symphonic writing, but it has the same principle of unity.

Beethoven did not invent the technique of building grand designs from atomic ideas; and the technique did not come easily to him His notebooks show how much he labored with those atoms to make their embodiment sound "just right." We think of him as a man of weighty ideas. We should ponder his exquisite sense of lightness as well. His sense of balance seems flawless. He knew when to continue polishing an idea and just when to stop. He takes us to the breathtaking brink of breakdown and holds us harmless, and we are changed people when we open ourselves to his thought.

--Michael Bouman

Literature & Medicine comments

2009-04-13T14:24:00.003-05:00

Today I received a note from one of our Literature and Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care® participants in Kansas City. She wrote:

I have been a "member" of the Literature & Medicine group at Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri for the past two years it has been offered.
The readings and the group have been an important "new" part of what I do now. I look forward to the meetings and the discussion facilitated by Linda Payne. I read books I would not have read before. I hear different perspectives on the material from other employees that I don't interact with in my work day: nurses, doctor, social workers, wellness coordinators, patient advocates, and researchers. Everything is done for me by librarian Marie Thompson - books are provided, space is set up and dinner is served - I get to enjoy the reading. I hope this grant continues at Saint Luke's Hospital and other hospitals will consider the benefit. It brings humanity into medicine. My mind and heart have been exposed to new thoughts and new feelings. Thank you for the experience.
Sincerely, Carol M -- Saint Luke's Hospital

Created by the Maine Humanities Council, Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care® is a national award-winning, hospital-based, scholar-led humanities reading and discussion program for health care professionals that benefits both them and their patients. The Missouri Humanities Council has been involved with Literature & Medicine since we piloted the project in the fall of 2007. Right now we are finishing up sessions in both St. Louis and Kansas City. We hope to expand the program to other hospital settings throughout Missouri this year. For more information on how to bring Literature & Medicine to a hospital in your community, contact me at the Missouri Humanities Council at 1.800.357.0909 and visit http://www.mainehumanities.org/programs/litandmed/index.html.

National Advocacy and Assistance for Museums

2008-12-08T09:47:00.001-06:00

Here are a few museum-related topics of interest that recently came to our attention:

The American Association of Museums is putting together a Museums Advocacy Day. This will be an opportunity to bring our message of the value of museums to Capitol Hill, and to advocate for policy issues that affect this field. The event will be held in Washington, DC, on February 22-23, 2009 and will include a full day of advocacy training and issue briefings to be followed by meeting with legislators. This is a free event; however, registration is required. Visit http://www.speakupformuseums.org/MuseumAdvocacyDay.htm for more information.

Also, the National Endowment for the Humanities is now accepting America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations Planning Grants for projects beginning in September 2009. “America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations grants support traveling or long-term museum exhibitions, library-based projects, interpretation of historic places or areas, interpretive Web sites, or other project formats that creatively engage audiences in exploring humanities ideas and questions. Planning grants can be used to plan, refine, and develop the content and interpretive approach of a project. Applicants should have already begun consulting with scholars to help shape the humanities content of the project, and with other programming advisers appropriate to the project’s format.” Further information and application materials can be found on the NEH web site at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/AHCO_PlanningGuidelines.html.

Nominations being accepted for Exemplary Humanities Programming in School Libraries

2008-10-14T15:03:00.003-05:00

Just received this notice from the ALA. Please share this information with others who might be interested.

The ALA Public Programs Office is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. School libraries, public or private, that serve children in any combination of grades K-8 and have conducted humanities programs during the 2007-2008 school year are eligible. Applications and award guidelines are available at www.ala.org/jaffarianaward. To be considered, nominations must be received by ALA by December 1.

The award consists of:
· a $4,000 honorarium
· a plaque, to be presented at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago
· promotion of the program as a model for other school libraries.

To be considered, applicant libraries must have conducted a humanities program or program series during the prior school year (2007-2008). The humanities program can be focused in many subject areas, including but not limited to social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign language and culture. Programs should focus on broadening perspectives and helping students understand the wider world and their place in it.

The Sara Jaffarian Award was established in 2006 to recognize and promote excellence in humanities programming in elementary and middle school (K-8) libraries. It is presented annually by the Public Programs Office, in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), and named for Sara Jaffarian, whose donation to ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund established the award. Jaffarian, a retired school librarian and long-time ALA member, spent her career passionately advocating for school libraries in every school. The Sara Jaffarian Award is selected annually by a committee comprising members of the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC) and AASL. For more information on the Sara Jaffarian award, visit www.ala.org/jaffarianaward.

With questions, please contact the ALA Public Programs Office, publicprograms@ala.org

Previous MHC Governor's Humanities Awardee to sign new book

2008-10-03T16:00:00.007-05:00

Just received a "Google Alert" letting us know that Brad Belk, 2006 Missouri Governor’s Humanities Award recipient, will be on hand to sign Belk’s latest book For The Families: Ronald McDonald House Celebrates The First Ten Years at the Ronald McDonald House in Joplin from 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 16. The link will take you to the article in today's Neosho Daily News.

Missouri Humanities Council Announces Governor’s Humanities Award Winners

2008-09-16T13:29:00.005-05:00

Each year the Governor of Missouri and the Missouri Humanities Council celebrate the accomplishments of people who have made exceptional contributions to our understanding of Missouri, its people, and its stories. These awards are based on nominations from the public for outstanding contributions to the humanities in Missouri. The awards ceremony will be held on October 22, 2008 at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City.

The Book Award recognizes individuals or groups whose book or publication has increased our understanding and appreciation of Missouri's history and culture. The 2008 Governor’s Humanities Award winners in this category include:

Mitch Jayne of Eminence for Fiddler’s Ghost, the master storyteller’s tale of suspense featuring the characters, music, and customs of Ozark Mountain culture.

Robert Frizzell from Maryville for Independent Immigrants – a Settlement of Hanoverian Germans in Western Missouri, the sometimes turbulent history of immigrant Germans in Lafayette County from 1838 to 1890.

Platte County Historical and Genealogical Society for The History of Platte County, Missouri – A Proud Legacy, the story of the people and events in the county from its initial exploration through today.

The Community Heritage Award recognizes individuals or groups who have made special contributions to a community's understanding of its heritage. The 2008 Governor’s Humanities Award Winners in this category include:

KETC-TV, St. Louis’s PBS station for the film Your Stories, featuring poignant personal stories of St. Louisans during the World War II years – was aired as an adjunct to Ken Burns’ WWII documentary.

Thomas W. Carneal of Maryville, distinguished historian, preservationist and scholar for his career achievements in promoting the cultural and architectural heritage of Northwest Missouri.

University of Missouri Press for fifty years of contributions to scholarly and inspired publishing, and the cultivation of important regional resources about and for Missouri and the Midwest.

Finally, the Excellence in Humanities Education Award recognizes one or more teachers of English, history, languages, or social studies, grades K-12, in Missouri's public or private schools. The 2008 Governor’s Humanities Award Winners in this category include:

Amy McBride Barker, a stand-out English literature and composition teacher at Kirkwood High School, is an inspiration to her students with her passion, energy and dedication to the humanities.

Dr. Maridella Carter of the Blue Springs South High School English department inspires love for the arts in her students, colleagues and throughout the state with her exceptional knowledge and devotion to the humanities.

To learn more about these exceptional Missourians and works of humanities, or to share your thoughts with others, go the Missouri Humanities web site, newsletter or humanities blog:
http://www.mohumanities.org/governors_awards.htm
http://www.MissouriPassages.com
http://mohumanities.blogspot.com

Missouri Folklore Conference to Meet in Hannibal

2008-09-08T11:39:00.001-05:00

The Missouri Folklore Society will meet in Hannibal November 6-8 for a conference entitled “The Stories Started Here”. Events will be scheduled at the Hannibal Quality Inn Conference Center and at the Mark Twain Museum. Tours will also be arranged in the Hannibal and Quincy area.

Those interested in participating, attending events or sponsoring activities may contact MFS President John Schleppenbach at Quincy University (217-228-5439) or Regina Faden at Mark Twain Museum (573-221-9010). Membership forms, and call for participation forms, area available from: http://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu

The Missouri Folklore Society provides programs relating to Missouri’s folk arts, folklore, and folk traditions for Missourians in all areas of the state. Over 100 individuals from nine states attend the annual conference which offers a broad range of papers, sessions, presentations, panels, exhibits and jam sessions.

The purpose of the society is to encourage the collection, preservation and study of folklore in the widest sense, including customs, institutions, beliefs, signs, legends, language, literature, oral history, musical arts and folk arts and crafts of all ethnic groups throughout the state of Missouri.

Application Process Open for Target Field Trip Grants

2008-09-05T14:16:00.004-05:00

An interesting grant RFP from the Philanthropy News Digest.

The Target Field Trip Grants program will award U.S. educators grants of up to $800 each to fund a field trip for their students. Target Field Trip Grants may be used to fund trips to art museums, cultural events, civic experiences, and environmental sites. Up to five thousand grants will be awarded across the United States. Grants will be awarded to educators, teachers, principals, para-professionals, and/or classified staff.

Applications must be submitted electronically between September 2, 2008, and November 1,2008. Visit the Target Web site for further information and to register and complete the application form.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Reminder: Resource Fair at St. Louis Public Library Headquarters This Saturday

2008-09-05T11:58:00.001-05:00

The Missouri Humanities Council will be participating in a Resource Fair for the public at Library Headquarters. The library invited over 40 organizations to participate with an emphasis on those that are doing outreach with emphasis on minorities, immigrant communities, and underserved populations. The organizations that are participating are a very diverse array of social service, government, and educational. There will be interactive display tables and ongoing presentations throughout the day. Children are welcome! This is a free event, and a unique opportunity to learn about our community.

The Missouri Humanities Council will be participating in a Resource Fair for the public at Library Headquarters. The library invited over 40 organizations to participate with an emphasis on those that are doing outreach with emphasis on minorities, immigrant communities, and underserved populations. The organizations that are participating are a very diverse array of social service, government, and educational. There will be interactive display tables and ongoing presentations throughout the day. Children are welcome! This is a free event, and a unique opportunity to learn about our community.

Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008
Time: 10 am to 2 am
Place: St. Louis County Library – Headquarters Auditorium 1640 S Lindbergh BlvdSt Louis, MO 63131

Questions?
Marcia Wilderman, Multicultural Services Coordinator
314-827-8079
mwilderman@slcl.org

Mary Anne Marjamaa, Outreach Services Librarian
314-994-3300 ex 256
mmarjamaa@slcl.org

St. Charles Community College to Present History Theatre Festival Sept. 4-14

2008-09-05T11:50:00.003-05:00

The History Theatre of St. Charles Community College will combine theater, art, culture, and history this September with the second annual History Theatre Festival. The festival will be Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 4-14.

The History Theatre Festival is an effort to turn biography into live drama, highlighting events, issues, and historical figures of the past. The festival includes historical theater performances in addition to presentations of dance, visual art, film, and even rap music.

The event will kick off at noon Thursday, Sept. 4. In addition to theater performances such as “Amelia Lives,” about the life of Amelia Earhart, and “Joan of Arc,” which focuses on the life of the martyred young French woman, festival events will include an ethnic dance festival and musical performances. Throughout the festival, a Native American student art exhibit will be on display in the College Center Rotunda.

History will take on a modern spin at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, with “Rappin’ History.” St. Louis native Jamie “King James” Dennis will present an evening of historical rap songs celebrating the lives of African-American heroes and heroines. Tickets for this event are $10.

Daily tickets for the History Theatre Festival are $5 for adults and $4 for students and seniors. SCC students, faculty, and staff tickets are free. Daily tickets allow admission to all of the events scheduled for the day. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more.

Patrons may also purchase a Festival Pass for entrance to all History Theatre events. The pass for seniors and students is $21, and is $28 for adults. Pass tickets must be purchased by Sept. 4.

Click Here for more information about the festival and a detailed schedule of events. To purchase tickets, contact the Department of Continuing Education at 636-922-8233.

Bill Melendez, "Peanuts" Animator and Voice of Snoopy, Dies at 91

2008-09-04T14:15:00.005-05:00

As a huge fan of the Peanuts cartoons and characters, especially Snoopy, I felt the need to share this with our readers. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mr. Melendez. Mr. Melendez's work brought so much joy to the lives of children and adults all over the world and he will certainly be missed.

By Charles Solomon, Special to The Times
September 4, 2008

Animator, director and producer Jose Cuautemoc "Bill" Melendez, whose television programs and theatrical films featuring Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" characters earned four Emmy Awards, an Oscar nomination and two Peabody Awards, died Tuesday at St. John's hospital in Santa Monica, according to publicist Amy Goldsmith. He was 91.

Melendez's career extended over nearly seven decades, including stints at Walt Disney Studios, Leon Schlesinger Cartoons (which later was sold to Warner Bros.), United Productions of America and Playhouse Pictures. In 1964, he established Bill Melendez Productions, where he created his best-known works, including the holiday classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965). Over the years, his films were honored with two additional prime-time Emmys, three National Cartoonist Society awards, a Clio Award and 150 awards for commercials.

Click Here to read the full article from the L.A. Times

National Education Association Foundation Accepting Grant Applications

2008-09-04T13:38:00.002-05:00

A grant RFP from the Philanthropy News Digest.

The NEA Foundation supports a variety of efforts by teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to improve student learning in America's public schools, colleges, and universities.
The foundation is accepting applications for the following programs:
Learning & Leadership Grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study.
Student Achievement Grants provide grants of $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. (These grants replace the foundation’s Innovation Grants program, which has been discontinued.)
Complete grant guidelines are available at the NEA Foundation Web site.
Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Announcing Two Exciting New Workshops: Membership Programs for Small Museums & Bring Your Oral Histories into the 21st Century

2008-09-04T11:45:00.004-05:00

A big "thanks!" to Patricia Zahn, MHC's Associate Director, for passing on this announcements. Enjoy.

Membership Programs for Small Museums.

The workshop is scheduled for Friday, September 12, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Lincoln House in Springfield, Illinois. For directions, please visit the Lincoln Home Web site at www.nps.gov/liho/. Dana Hines, President and Founder of Membership Consultants, will lead this exciting workshop. For your convenience, we have posted a tentative agenda for the workshop on the AMM Web site. Click here to view the agenda. The registration rate for the workshop is $40 for AMM/SMAC members and $50 for non-members. A registration form is available on the AMM Web and can be downloaded by clicking here. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact

Brian Bray
Executive Director
Association of Midwest Museums (AMM)
PO Box 11940, St. Louis, MO 63112
P: 314-746-4557, F: 314-746-4569
bbray@midwestmuseums.org
www.midwestmuseums.org
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Bring Your Oral Histories into the 21st Century: Digitizing Audio Collections

Date: October 22-24 Location: Metro Davidson County Archives, Nashville, TN

Cost: $200 members/$265 nonmembers

Do you have files full of oral histories and other sound recordings on cassette tapes, LPs, or CDs? Do you want to make those resources more readily available for the public? Do you want to keep these important resources in a format that keeps up with changing technology? Make plans to join AASLH in Nashville in October for our new workshop, Digitizing Audio Collections. This workshop, conducted by Leigh Grinstead of CDP@BCR, will introduce participants to the range of issues associated with converting analog recordings into digital audio. Participants will discuss digital audio standards and best practices, digital audio recording, file formats, storage, playback, and delivery.

Bethany Hawkins
Program Associate
American Association for State and Local History
1717 Church St.
Nashville, TN 37203
615-320-3203

Resource Fair at St. Louis Public Library Headquarters This Saturday

2008-09-04T10:00:00.010-05:00

Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008

Time: 10 am to 2 am

Place: St. Louis County Library – Headquarters Auditorium
1640 S Lindbergh Blvd
St Louis, MO 63131

Questions? Marcia Wilderman, Multicultural Services Coordinator
314-827-8079
mwilderman@slcl.org

Mary Anne Marjamaa, Outreach Services Librarian
314-994-3300 ex 256
mmarjamaa@slcl.org

Historical Epitaphs: Voices from the Past

2008-09-02T14:18:00.002-05:00

From Kansas City infoZine News

Historical Epitaphs: Voices from the Past
Union Cemetery
September 13 & 147:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Don't miss this unique opportunity.. Funded in part by a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council with support by the National Endowment for Humanities, visitors to Union Cemetery will be taken back in time as tour guides tell them the history of the cemetery. The tours will be led through the cemetery, stopping at certain gravesites where they will hear first person accounts of some of the well-known, and not so well-known persons buried in Union Cemetery. Tours will be given every 30 minutes beginning at 7:00 pm both Friday and Saturday nights, with the final tour given at 9:30 pm. While visitors wait for their tour they will be entertained by dulcimer artist Betty Key.

Reservations are requested for this year's tour as last year's event drew nearly 800 visitors in one day. Please visit Union Cemetery Historical Society or call 816-472-4990 and leave a reservation number. A suggested $5.00 donation for each visitor will be collected at the front gate of the cemetery.

Find Could Change Mississippians' Timeline

2008-09-02T13:55:00.003-05:00

One of MHC's Board Members was featured in an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about cave paitnings and Mississippian culture.

By Michael Gibney
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

COLUMBIA — The story begins, as many do, with curiosity.About 20 years ago, two men exploring a place known as Picture Cave found paintings on the rock walls and sent hand-drawn reproductions to archaeologists Jim Duncan and Carol Diaz-Granados.

"These things are fake!" Duncan remembered thinking at the time. As it turned out, the nature and location of the drawings contradicted widely held beliefs about Mississippian culture.

The figures on the walls of the cave in east-central Missouri now provide crucial details of the prehistoric timeline of the region. And there's recent evidence that the paintings in Picture Cave predate the Cahokia Mounds as the birthplace of what archaeologists refer to as the Mississippian period.

According to archaeological records, the Mississippian period saw the creation of some of the first large towns and city centers north of Mexico. The conventional belief has been that this period started around 1050 A.D., but the drawings in Picture Cave indicate the period began earlier and in a different location.

The husband-and-wife team of Duncan and Diaz-Granados has investigated the
drawings for years. The ancient symbols contain mysteries, some of which are
inevitably lost forever. Others are pieces to a puzzle that archaeologists have
pored over for centuries.

The rock paintings at Picture Cave depict cultural beliefs of more than a thousand years ago, and possibly represent the earliest account of the Mississippian Period."It is beyond any doubt the most important rock art site in North America," Duncan said.

Although he said the cave is in the central part of eastern Missouri near the Missouri River, he wouldn't give details of its location.
Click Here for the full article

Two Grant RFPs to Kick Off Your Three Day Weekend

2008-08-29T13:32:00.007-05:00

Two grant RFPs from the Philanthropy News Digest. Enjoy!

William T. Grant and Spencer Foundations Seek Proposals for the Development and Improvement of the Measurement of Classroom Quality

The William T. Grant Foundation and the Spencer Foundation have announced their joint 2009 Request for Proposals for the Development and Improvement of the Measurement of Classroom Quality. This RFP is part of the foundations' broader effort to build theory and evidence about how classrooms affect youth and how to improve those effects.
The foundations will support a small group of research projects, one to three years in duration, with award amounts ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 each, including all direct and indirect costs.
MetLife Foundation Announces Museum and Community Connections Program
In 2008, through its Museum and Community Connections program, the MetLife Foundation expects to award grants totaling $1 million to art museums in select states of the United States. The purpose of the program is to encourage art museums to reach out to large numbers of people of all ages and backgrounds through imaginative programs and/or exhibits that "help us understand and appreciate each other and our world."
Individual grants will not exceed $100,000 and will vary in amount depending on the nature and scope of the proposed project. Collaboration and partnership with other organizations is a plus.

'Wedding of century' re-enactment planned in Bowling Green

2008-08-25T13:50:00.005-05:00

Another wonderful program being presented by an MHC grant recipeint. Please follow the link at the end of this post to read the complete article.

By BRENT ENGEL
Hannibal Courier-Post
Bowling Green, MO

Think your wedding was crazy? Well, try having to rescue stranded bridesmaids from a wrecked train the night before the nuptials. Or finding enough room to store the 500 cakes whipped up by the ladies around town. While you’re at it, lock those gifts in a bank vault in case a few guests get sticky fingers. Oh, and by the way, your beloved father literally invited everyone in the state to the ceremony. Those are just a few of the tales surrounding the June 30, 1915, wedding of Genevieve Clark Thomson, the feisty and outspoken daughter of U.S. Speaker of the House Champ Clark.

Actors will breathe life into the stories during the Champ Clark Heritage Festival on Sept. 13 in Bowling Green. Champ Clark Honey Shuck Restoration, which oversees Clark’s house, is teaming with the ETC. Senior Theatre Co. and the Missouri Humanities Council to produce “The Day Missouri Came to the Wedding.” The theater troupe, based at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, learned about events surrounding the ceremony from the Humanities Council. The two groups approached Honey Shuck Restoration about doing a play.
The free, 45-minute melodrama will feature almost 30 actors and be staged at Honey Shuck. The play will take 10 audience members at a time from room to room and finally outdoors to the moments before the wedding. Dolores Kane, a retired teacher who directs ETC., wrote the Clark play. Only 100 tickets will be available. Performances are at noon, 12:15, 1:15, 1:30, 2:30, 2:45, 3:45, 4, 5 and 5:15 p.m.
Click Here for the complete article

HEC-TV to Present "Passage to Freedom: Freedom Suits, Slavery, and American Justice"

2008-08-25T13:03:00.003-05:00

In the spring of 2008, Higher Education Television (HEC-TV) received a grant from MHC to support HEC-TV Live!, a groundbreaking series of interactive programs that connect students with experts in a variety of fields through videoconferencing. Please see the announcement below and follow the links for more information on the program and how to bring it to your classroom.

Passage to Freedom: Freedom Suits, Slavery, and
American Justice

Target Audience:
Education Grade(s): 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Parent

Primary Disciplines:
Social Studies/History

Secondary Disciplines:
Character Education

Program Description: A study of 19th century American history or a study of the Civil War would not be complete without including the famous freedom suit of Dred Scott. While Dred Scott may be the most famous of slaves filing a freedom suit, he certainly was not the only one. These suits, which were legal petitions for freedom by people of color, became a common way for slaves to seek to obtain their freedom in the St. Louis area. The bulk of these suits were filed from the 1820s to 1850s. Slaves who had moved with their owners to live in free states often used this event as a basis to seeking their freedom. Now, as a result of the St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, the court record of these freedom suits is available to the public.

In this program, you and your students will have the chance to go back in time and utilize fascinating primary sources to hear the stories of slaves and owners, lawyers and court officials that made the Gateway City of St. Louis a “Passage to Freedom” for many Americans in the first half of the 19th century. What was life like in this American frontier city? How did slaves and owners interact? How did the freedom suits occur? How successful were they? How did they change the lives of all involved? How do they give us a better understanding of the institution of slavery and the organization and ideals of America’s justice system?
Click Here to read this article in full on the The Lorain County Distance Learning Consortium (LCDLC) blog
Click Here for the announcement by the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration in its entirety
Click Here to go the program description on HEC-TV's website

Pay It Forward Foundation Offers Mini-Grants for Youth

2008-08-21T10:06:00.001-05:00

Two grant RFPs from the Philanthropy News Digest. Enjoy.

A program of the Pay It Forward Foundation, Pay It Forward Mini-Grants are designed to fund one-time-only service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community.
Projects must contain a "pay it forward" focus — that is, they must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially — to be considered for a mini-grant.

Mini-grants of up to $500 are available. Because funding is limited, projects requesting smaller amounts will be given priority.

Visit the Pay It Forward Foundation Web site for complete grant program guidelines and information on the Pay It Forward concept.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program to Fund Work on Contemporary Visual Art

2008-08-21T10:03:00.002-05:00

The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant is an initiative of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts as part of its broader Arts Writing Initiative and is administered by Creative Capital.

Dedicated to supporting a wide range of writing on contemporary visual art — from general-audience to scholarly — the program awards project-based grants to individual authors. In its 2008 cycle, the program will fund approximately 20 projects, in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $50,000 each, in the following categories: books; articles; short-form writing; and blogs/new and alternative media.

To be eligible, an arts writer must be: an individual; an art historian, artist, critic, curator, journalist, or practitioner in an outside field who is strongly engaged with the contemporary visual arts; a U.S. citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or possessor of an O-1 visa; at least 25 years old; and a published author (specific publication requirements vary depending on grant category).

Please note: Writers wishing to apply for book projects must first submit a Letter of Inquiry. The 2008 deadline for the Book LOI has already passed. Applicants who advanced to panel in previous years are eligible to apply without submitting an LOI.

The program is no longer accepting applications for article series, only for individual articles.

Visit the program's Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy Announces 2009 National Grant Competition

2008-08-13T13:14:00.003-05:00

A few mid-week grant RFPs for your reading pleasure. For a more extensive list of RFPs funding educational projects and endeavors, please visit the Philanthropy News Digest.

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has announced its 2009 national grant competition.

The foundation's grantmaking program seeks to develop or expand projects that are designed to support the development of literacy skills for adult primary care givers and their children. A total of approximately $650,000 will be awarded; no grant request should exceed $65,000.

In order to be considered eligible for a grant, an organization must meet the following criteria: the organization must have current nonprofit or public status and have been in existence for two or more years as of the date of the application; the organization must have maintained fiscal accountability; the organization must operate an instructional literacy program that has been in existence for at least two years and includes one or more of the following components: literacy for adults, parent education, pre-literacy or literacy instruction for children pre-k to grade three, and intergenerational literacy activities (Parent and Child Together time or P.A.C.T. time).

Complete program guidelines, application, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available at the foundation's Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation Accepting Applications for Institutional Grants Program

2008-08-13T13:12:00.002-05:00

The Academy Foundation, the educational and preservation wing of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is accepting applications from film-related nonprofit organizations, schools, and colleges for its Institutional Grants Program. The grants program is designed to fulfill one of the Academy's fundamental purposes — 'to foster educational activities between the public and the film industry, and to encourage an appreciation of the motion picture as an art form and a vocation.'

The Academy Grants Committee considers all applications that represent programs that foster appreciation and excellence in filmmaking, within the following guidelines: grants are not awarded to cover the expenses of producing a film or films; grants are not awarded to support activities related to the completion of a doctoral dissertation or other academic advancement; grants are not awarded to commercial institutions or organizations, or to individuals pursuing activities related to their employment by profit-making organizations; grants are not awarded to film festivals (the academy has a separate Festival Grants Program); grants are not awarded for support of administrative, equipment, or overhead expenses; grants are not awarded to cover the expenses involved in television research and projects.

In 2008, the Institutional Grants Program distributed a total of $500,000 to 58 institutions. Typical funding ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 per institution.

Complete grants program guidelines, as well as information on the Festival Grants Program, is available at the Academy Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Open Society Institute Invites Proposals for Moving Walls Documentary Photography Exhibition

2008-08-13T13:09:00.001-05:00

The Open Society Institute invites photographers and artists to submit a proposal and completed body of work for consideration in the Moving Walls 16 group exhibition.

The exhibition series is intended to present an artistic interpretation of the obstacles — such as political oppression, economic instability, and racism — that society often erects, and the struggles to tear those barriers down. Since its inception in 1998, Moving Walls has featured nearly 100 photographers whose work addresses a variety of social justice and human rights issues that coincide with OSI's mission.

The Open Society Institute encourages photographers to submit documentary work of national or international subjects that coincide with the issues and geographical areas that are principally of concern to OSI.

Upon selection, photographers must submit a budget proposal for printing, drymounting, and other production costs. Once the budget is approved, participants will be responsible for working within this budget and must use OSI-approved labs. OSI will then pay for standard framing and window matting. In addition, selected photographers will receive a $1,500 royalty payment. When the show comes down, OSI will cover the costs of returning work up to $750 for photographers based in the United States and $1,250 internationally.

Complete program guidelines are available at the Open Society Institute Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Best Buy Invites Applications for K-12 Technology Education Program

2008-08-08T15:16:00.002-05:00

A grant RFP from Philanthropy News Digest to kick off your weekend. Enjoy.

The Best Buy Teach Award program recognizes and rewards creative uses of interactive technology in K-12 classrooms. In 2008, the program will award a total of $2 million to accredited K-12 public, private, parochial, magnet, and charter schools in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Winning programs focus on kids using technology to learn standards-based curriculum rather than on teaching students to use technology or educators using technology that children aren't able to use hands-on.

Awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 each will be granted to programs that engage students at any grade level by creatively integrating interactive technology into the curriculum. All awards are in the form of Best Buy Gift Cards.

Best Buy Teach Awards of $10,000 each will be granted to up to fifteen schools serving ninth-grade students that display the greatest creativity in their programs/projects and the clearest vision of how to increase the school's use of interactive technology. The emphasis on ninth-grade classrooms aligns with Best Buy's new @15 philanthropic focus.

Accredited nonprofit K-12 public, private, parochial, magnet, and charter schools are eligible to apply. All applicant schools must be nonprofit and located in the United States or Puerto Rico. Eligible educators are certified teachers, specialists, and/or principals. The program or project must have been in existence in the applying school for at least one full school year.

Visit the Best Buy Teach award program Web site for complete porgram details and application instructions.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP