Connecticut Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), has awarded the Witness Stones Project a $10,000 CTH SHARP Capacity Grant to support staff development that would allow the Project to broaden and diversity the student audience it serves.
The Project provide research assistance, specialized curriculum, and professional teacher development to bring the history of slavery in Connecticut into middle and high school classes. Since 2017, the Project has grown from serving one school in Guilford, Connecticut, to serving more than thirty schools across the state. With support from Connecticut Humanities, the Witness Stones Project can bring the curriculum to more teachers and students.
The NEH received $135 million from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, which was approved by Congress this past spring. The state humanities councils, including CT Humanities, each received a portion of the NEH award to support museums, archives, historic sites, and other humanities-focused nonprofits. The Witness Stones Project was one of 69 organizations in Connecticut that was awarded ARP funding totaling $640,192 from CT Humanities. CTH SHARP Capacity Grants provide organizations funding for projects including building their information technology infrastructure, making their collections more accessible, conducting strategic planning, and undertaking inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access work.
“Our cultural nonprofits enrich lives, and it is important that they remain viable and accessible to all residents,” said Dr. Jason Mancini, executive director at CT Humanities.
Support for this project is provided to the Witness Stones Project by CT Humanities (CTH), through the Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this announcement do not necessarily represent those of CT Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
CT Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
