UTAH HUMANITIES NEWSLETTER




"Philosophy may begin in wonder and eventuate in understanding, or even, in a few instances, in wisdom, but along the way it involves a good deal of strenuous activity. This activity generally takes the form of dialogue."


 -  American philosopher Matthew Lipman 
Join our community!

 

" Utah Humanities empowers Utahns to improve their communities
 through active engagement in the humanities."


We Need Your Help With the Utah Legislature

The good news : Utah Humanities' request for one-time funds for Museum on Main Street was ranked as the #2 priority of 39 items on the Business, Economic Development, and Labor appropriations subcommittee list! Huge thanks to BEDL!
 
The next step:  The Executive Appropriations Committee is expected to vote on its priorities TODAY . If you live in a EAC member's district, please take just a minute to call or send an email asking your legislator to rank UH's request high. We'll let you know in March how it turns out! You can find contact information here by clicking on the Members tab .


Why Kids Should Study Philosophy...Yes, Philosophy

 
" The focus is on asking questions because philosophy, as Socrates said, begins in wonder.
We don't just ask
  ourselves   questions--we ask others, those who make up our society. It's true that philosophy involves a lot of sittin' and thinkin' on one's own, but as the late American philosopher Matthew Lipman wrote in his essay The Educational Role of Philosophy:

"Philosophy may begin in wonder and eventuate in understanding, or even, in a few instances, in wisdom, but along the way it involves a good deal of strenuous activity. This activity generally takes the form of dialogue."

Dialogue is key because only then will our assumptions, reasoning, and conclusions be challenged. Only then can we become better thinkers. And in the process of becoming better thinkers through intellectually rigorous dialogue, our children can become better citizens. 
. . . In fact, nothing could be more important to the future well-being of both our kids and society as a whole than that they learn how to be philosophers. . . ."

Photo: Vatican City, Vatican Museum, Vatican Palace, Room of the Segnature. A group of philosophers and scholars within a building. Image credit: Getty Images.
 

What if You Could Affect Society and Improve Lives
in a Single Day?

Love UT Give UT is our community's biggest day of giving. It's one extraordinary day to support the organizations that make Utah a great place to live and work, including Utah Humanities. And it's your chance to make a positive impact in your community.
          • Do you share a passion for lifelong learning?
          • Do you take comfort in knowing people have access to educational opportunities?
          • Do you enjoy visiting museums and learning about local history?
          • Do you enjoy community conversations that get to the heart of current issues facing your community?
If you do, then you share our vision and belief that the humanities have the power to help us become better individuals and to create a better society. Your support will provide
Utahns --like you--access to programs that empower them
  to 
improve their communities through active engagement in
  the 
humanities.
 
Visit our Love UT Give UT giving page or click the logo above to make your donation any time between March 1, 2016, and March 31, 2016!
 

Join Us for a Grant Writing Workshop and Related Conversation

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Grant Writing Workshop

NEH grants strengthen teaching and learning in schools and colleges, facilitate research and original scholarship, provide opportunities for lifelong learning, preserve access to cultural and education resources, and strengthen the institutional base of the humanities. NEH grants are typically awarded to cultural institutions such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television and radio stations, and to individual scholars.

Workshop activities will include an overview of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) programs and special initiatives presented by Dr. Stefanie Walker, NEH Senior Program Officer, followed by a mock panel review session offering strategies for developing strong applications to the NEH. Private one-on-one consultations with Dr. Walker will also be available.

The workshop will be held at the University of Utah Languages & Communications ( LNCO) Building, Room 1110, 255 Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.

Monday, March 14, 2016
3:00pm - 6:00pm: Private One-on-One Consultations

Tuesday, March 15, 2016
9:00am - 12:30pm: Presentation & Mock Panel Review

1:30pm - 4:30pm: Private One-on-One Consultations


To schedule a private, one-on-one consultation with Dr. Walker, please contact  Danny Trujillo, Project Coordinator, at [email protected] or call 801.587.3958.
 
Related Conversation on National and Local Funding for Public Humanities Projects
 
Want to know more about public humanities grant opportunities from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and Utah Humanities (UH)? Several grants are available for nonprofit organizations at the local and national level.
 
The workshop at the University of Utah will be especially helpful for academic and scholarly projects. However, several grants are also available at the local and national levels for a variety of nonprofit organizations serving the general public. 

Join NEH Senior Program Officer Stefanie Walker and Jodi Graham from UH for an informal presentation and Q&A about funding for public humanities programming. 
 
Monday, March 14, 2016
1:00-2:30 p.m.
Anderson-Foothill Branch Library
1135 S 2100 E, Salt Lake City
 
For more information, contact Jodi Graham at  [email protected] or call 801.359.9670 ext. 105.
 

Celebrate 100 Years of the Pulitzer Prizes With Reading

In honor of its centennial, Pulitzer has released a Pulitzer100 reading challenge encouraging people to read one Pulitzer Prize-winner from each Prize category, along with bonus suggestions.

Click here to get the full description of the challenge and join us in reading Pulitzer Prize-winning literature!  Here are the categories:
 
Biography or Autobiography
Drama
Fiction (1948- present)
General Nonfiction
History
Novel (1917-1947)
Poetry
 

Click the State Icon to See Our Humanities Events Near You
 

Our events calendar is organized by month, date, and even region of the state.

Click the icon to visit our calendar, and remember  to check back often.

There are always new humanities events to attend!


Many Thanks

Utah Humanities is grateful for the generous support of many individuals, foundations, and corporations and for public funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Utah, and the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks Fund.
 
   

Special thanks to CIT Bank for supporting UH's Venture Course in the Humanities, which opens the door to college-level study for adults living on low incomes.