By Natasha T. Brown
Browse the DC Digital Museum, and you’ll surely find historic gems of Washington that you may not have known existed. This web-based archive powered by the Humanities Council of Washington, DC documents the most interesting grant projects of DC culture created by residents. The DCDM will inspire self-reflection of your own passion projects, just by learning more about Washington, DC’s lesser-known history and niche communities, such as:
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Historic “Testimonies from Military Road School Alumni,” who tell the story of the school in the Brightwood neighborhood of Northwest;
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DC’s growing urban agriculture community is documented by several gardeners who were selected for a project that tells its oral history; and
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“African-American Pioneer Muslimahs in Washington DC,” is a documentary film that uses oral history to examine the lives of African-American Muslim women in Washington, DC primarily during the 1940's and 50's.
There is an interesting collection for humanities enthusiasts in the DC Digital Museum, and 2014 presents a new opportunity for creative types throughout the city.
The Humanities Council wants to fund your passion.
Currently, Humanities DC has three programs that have a deadline of May 9. Youth-based programs that teach leadership through the humanities may apply for Soul of the City Grants, which are funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
How to get an edge?
- Create a proposal that demonstrates the use of humanities ideas, disciplines and concepts to help youth understand themselves and the human experience.
- Provide tools to encourage youth to improve themselves and the world in which they live.
- Provide proof that your program will produce confident, service-oriented leaders with increased communications and critical thinking skills.
The second opportunity is The Abraham Lincoln Schimel and Beatrice Schimel Award for Excellence in Teaching Leadership to High School Students Through the Humanities.This new opportunity will award $2,500 to Washington, DC high school teachers who are developing innovative new ways of using the humanities disciplines to teach their students what it means to be a leader: $1,250 will be a cash prize to winning educators and $1,250 will be applied for educators to create curriculum materials.
How to get an edge?
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Educators may nominate themselves or colleagues, parents, etc. may submit the nomination.
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Applications must describe the approach, how it uses humanities disciplines to integrate learning leadership capacities, and why it deserves recognition and dissemination.
Lastly, the DC Community Heritage Project Grant (DCCHP) will offer several awards up to $2,500 to support local history and preservation projects documenting DC’s unique culture. The DCCHP is a partnership between the Humanities Council and the DC Historic Preservation Office. The DCCHP is local history at a grassroots level, placing control of the narrative in the hands of those who create it.
How to get an edge?
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Be sure your proposal is unique and can be documented in the DC Digital Museum.
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Browse the DCDM to view past grantee projects, which include documentary films, oral history projects, digital archives, walking tours, and many other types of educational materials.
The Humanities Council will offer some last-minute webinars to help applicants understand the process and requirements. On Tuesday from 2-2:30 p.m., there’s a free, limited-space webinar for the DC Community Heritage Project Grant. Click here to RSVP.
Remember, the deadline for all three programs is May 9. You may apply directly online at http://wdchumanities.org. The accepted proposals will be announced in June.
Stay connected with @HumanitiesDC on Twitter, Facebook and Eventbrite for upcoming programs. If you are thinking about creating a project that documents arts and humanities culture, now is the time to let the Humanities Council fund your passion and have your work archived the DC Digital Museum.
Natasha T. Brown is a brand builder, writer and marketing strategist. She is a communications consultant with the Humanities Council of Washington, DC, founder of Think Brown INK, and creator of several programs focused on philanthropy and education. Connect with Natasha @NBrownINK on Twitter and natashatbrown.com.