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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- June 14, 2006
CONTACT: Scott Hirko, Public Relations Officer,
shirko [at] mihumanities.org, 517-372-0029 ext. 25

We the People GRANTS TO AWARD PROGRAMS EXPLORING WORK AND LABOR ISSUES

click here for We the People grant and guidelines information

(LANSING)-----The Michigan Humanities Council announces that it will make available nearly $175,000 in grants to Michigan non-profit organizations for We Made Michigan… We the People programs. These programs will explore work and labor events connected to Michigan history and culture. The Council is currently accepting requests for proposals up to $15,000 for We Made Michigan… We the People programs and has made the application and guidelines available on its website, www.michiganhumanities.org. The postmark deadline for proposals September 15, 2006.

“The Michigan Humanities Council welcomes programs which will help Michigan citizens explore work histories, their roles, their advancements and changes, and their meaning in self-expression and fulfillment,” said Janice Fedewa, executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council. “The Council encourages partnerships and collaborations in deveoping public humanities programs which will help us give meaning to the past, present, and future.”

The mission of the We the People initiative is to explore significant events and themes in our nation’s history and culture that advance the knowledge of the principles that define America. The experiences of Michigan’s people, workplaces, and labor efforts play a vital role in defining our culture, ourselves, and our nation.

We Made Michigan… We the People programs must have a public humanities component and be collaborative within the community. The range of grants available is between $5,000 and $15,000 per program. Only one grant will be awarded per organization. Grant applicants will be notified of the status of their application by November 15, 2006. Programs must begin no sooner than November 15, 2006, and be completed by November 30, 2007.

In 2005, the Council funded $126,670 for seven We the People grants, several of which are currently underway. These We the People public humanities programs include:

• The Library of Michigan Foundation’s (Lansing) “2006 Michigan’s Notable Books” program brings author of Michigan-themed books to 50 communities across the state between May 6 and June 26, 2006.
• The Humanities Council of West Central Michigan (Big Rapids) program “One Book: Fifteen Communities READ!” consists of book discussions at 15 area libraries in Lake, Mescosta, Montcalm, and Osceola counties between April 8 and June 23, 2006.
• The MSU Press (East Lansing) is bringing pairs of authors, each representing a different ethnic experience as represented in the “Discovering the Peoples of Michigan” book series, to ten museums throughout the state between March 16 and September 10, 2006.
• The Grand Traverse Heritage Center (Traverse City) has created programs related to the history of summer stock theaters and the Cherry County Playhouse. A public exhibit opened on May 13, 2006, and is available for viewing through October 14. Lectures will be held on June 15 and August 10. Theater performances will be held July 22, 23, 29, 30, and August 6, 2006, at Hannah Park in Traverse City. In addition, a Cherry County Playhouse reunion and discussion will be held on August 17.
• Madonna University (Livonia) will host the third part of its series, ”Three Defining Moments that Impact Michigan,” with a lecture about Arab American media on October 26, 2006, in Livonia.
• The Public Museum of Grand Rapids will host a major multicultural event, a “Cultural Kaleidoscope,” in October 2006.

More information about the We the People initiative and MHC-funded programs, including a calendar of events and website links, is available on the Council website, www.michiganhumanities.org. The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is the state's independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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