The Hawai‛i Council for the Humanities is an incorporated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt educational organization established in 1972.  HCH supports and promotes activities that further awareness of the worth and value of the humanities among the general public in Hawai‛i.  As a recipient of funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities, we also conduct humanities projects, such as History Day and Motheread/Fatheread, and we support humanities projects proposed by other non-profit groups for the benefit of Island communities – particularly communities that are under-served – through our grant opportunities.

Mission

The mission of the Hawai‛i Council for the Humanities is to encourage public dialogue that explores human values, interprets human experience, promotes cross-cultural understanding, strengthens our community and connects us to the wider world.

History

The Hawai‛i Council for the Humanities was started in 1972 when representatives of the NEH encouraged 8 Hawai`i residents to apply to the NEH for funding to conduct public humanities activities in the state.

The idea for "public humanities activities" comes from the U.S. Congress, which, in establishing the NEH, declared that "democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens." Congress emphasized not only the importance of supporting continued scholarship and research in the humanities but also the need to foster wider public understanding and use of the humanities. Thus, federal funds are channeled through the NEH to projects designed for or by the state's citizens and responsive to local interests and needs.

The first federal grant awarded to the HCH in March, 1973 totaled $155,000. Since then the HCH has grown from a group of eight citizens to its present 20 members. It currently receives approximately $450,000 per year in direct federal funds and raises state and private moneys for its public programs.

Since it was founded, the HCH has granted over $4 million in support of more than 500 projects in Hawai`i. The kinds of projects funded have varied widely but each was judged in terms of the mission of the HCH: Promoting a better understanding and appreciation of the humanities among the general public in Hawai`i

For more information, contact the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities at 3599 Wai'alae Ave., Suite 23, Honolulu, HI 96816; call (808) 732-5402; fax (808) 732-5432; interisland toll free ph/fax 1-800-424-1302; or e-mail info@hihumanities.org.