NOMINATE COMMUNITY HUMANITIES HEROES TO BE HONORED AT 10TH STUDS TERKEL HUMANITIES SERVICE AWARDS

CHICAGO- The Illinois Humanities Council is pleased to announce that it is now accepting nominations for the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award. Possible candidates for the award should be brought to the attention of local mayors for an official nomination.  Only mayors can make nominations.  Nomination forms have been mailed to all Illinois mayors, and final nominations are due September 15, 2009. If nominated individuals are certified by the criteria stated in the nomination packet, they will receive a specially designed medal in a local ceremony this fall.

This prestigious award is given to individuals who have demonstrated a sustained and significant contribution to furthering public understanding of the humanities within their community.  These humanities heroes should foster the importance of our diverse heritage and cultural traditions, embrace the importance of reflection and critical thinking, understand the importance of reading, storytelling and creative expression, and use the humanities to enrich community life using such methods as historic preservation and civic dialogue, among others. This can include anyone from teachers who create after-school programs about local history, to the lawyer who organizes discussion groups at the library about current events.

ABOUT THE STUDS TERKEL AWARD

Since 1999, nearly 400 recipients of the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award have been honored in civic ceremonies across Illinois.  These recipients are the types of people who see the connection between the past and future of their neighborhoods and communities.  By their examples, they help us to recognize the importance of the humanities in all our lives and enrich civic life at the local level.

For more information on this award, please contact the IHC at 312.422.5580, ihc@prairie.org, or visit our website at http://www.prairie.org/www.prairie.org/studsterkelaward.