Press Release

ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL AWARDS MAJOR GRANTS

Next major grant proposals due February 15

CHICAGO-The Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors has awarded a total of $202,726 to 24 nonprofit organizations for development and production of public humanities projects.

Funded projects include Mayor Washington in the House, a series of after school workshops for 20 youth who will examine leadership, social policy, and civic responsibility as embodied by the late Mayor Harold Washington and the Chicago Freedom Movement (Chicago); the Thread of Development, atutoring program in literacy and creative writing for young people incarcerated in the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center (Chicago); Raising Edo, a documentary film on the history of Edo (now Tokyo) from a frontier town in 1590 to the world’s largest city in 1700 (Champaign); and Skirting Convention, an oral history and radio project that will highlight the ground-breaking contributions of 12 Springfield women who influenced the history of that community (Springfield).

Community support for these projects totaled $1,249,988. A list of grants and the organizations that are sponsoring these programs are listed below:


  • Naomi Shihab Nye: Coexistence, Bettendorf Public Library, Bettendorf, IA ($3,950)
  • Raising Edo, Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Champaign ($5,000)
  • Percy Julian Project, The DuSable Museum of African American History, Chicago ($10,000)
  • The Vortex of Torture: Voices of Survivors, Media Process Educational Films, Chicago ($4,000)
  • Learning Curves: Reflections on Education and Knowledge, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Chicago ($7,200)
  • Performers, Technology, and Meaning, Saint Xavier University, Chicago ($6,330)
  • The Daniel Burnham Film Project, The Archimedia Workshop NFP, Chicago ($10,000)
  • New Directions In Adult Education, Chicago History Museum, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Afro-Mexican Studies Symposium, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Thread of Development Literacy and Creative Media Program, Thread of Development Literacy Program, Chicago ($8,264)
  • Mayor Washington in the House, Free Street Programs, Inc. , Chicago ($10,000)
  • Young Playwright’s Forum, About Face Theater, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Public Programs for the Ancient Americas Exhibition, The Field Museum, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Black Jewel of the Midwest, Chicago Public Library, Chicago ($8,990)
  • Palabra Pura, Guild Complex, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Jens Jensen Harmonious World, Chicago Filmmakers, Chicago ($4,000)
  • Aaron Copland, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Elgin ($10,000)
  • And They Came to Chicago, Italic Institute of America, Floral Park, NY ($10,000)
  • In Search of the Cahokian Gods and Heroes, Fernwork Arts Incubator, Oak Park ($10,000)
  • One Book, One Rockford, Rockford Public Library, Rockford ($10,000)
  • Interpreting Illinois and Michigan Canal Regional History, Lewis University, Romeoville ($10,000)
  • Through My Eyes, Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois, Skokie($10,000)
  • Skirting Convention, WUIS & WIPA Public Radio, Springfield ($9,992)
  • An Illinois Chautauqua: Lifelong Learning Through the Arts, University of Illinois Library, Urbana ($10,000)

February 15, 2007 is the next IHC deadline for major grant proposals and mini grant proposals are due on January 15, 2007. Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visiting www.prairie.org and clicking on “Educational Programs and Grants.” Grant information may also be requested by calling 312.422.5580 or by sending an email to ihc@prairie.org. IHC program officers are available for consultation at this number as well, and new applicants are encouraged to seek consultation. The IHC encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.

For further information about the IHC or the grants program, please contact us at 312.422.5580 or visit our website at www.prairie.org.

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

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