On August 31, the Pennsylvania Gaming Board will hold a public hearing on a proposal to license a casino located one-half mile from the Gettysburg National Military Park. The Civil War Preservation Trust is asking historians and other concerned citizens to contact the Gaming Board (click here) in advance of the hearing to express their opposition to this misguided use of land so close to the hallowed ground of Gettysburg.
In July, the National Coalition for History (NCH), and ten other NCH members joined forces with over 20 educational organizations representing other K-12 academic disciplines in issuing a statement to Congress and the Administration calling for the continued robust funding of core academic subjects including history. This includes maintenance of discrete budget lines—such as the Teaching American History grants—for each discipline.
The Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program provides fellowships to students to undertake study at the doctoral and master of fine arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences. The U.S. Department of Education has announced it is accepting applications for its fiscal year 2011 awards. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2010. Visit the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship program page for an application and more information.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced the first in a series of Bridging Cultures grants, awarding a total of $1.7 million that will enable humanities experts to launch public discussions addressing two pressing concerns: the role of civility in democracy and the understanding of Muslim contributions to world cultures.
The Library of Congress recently announced the formation of the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA), a partnership of institutions and organizations dedicated to preserving and providing access to selected databases, web pages, video, audio and other digital content with enduring value.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced $31.5 million in grants for 201 humanities projects.
The National Park Service recently awarded close to $1 million in grants from the agency’s Land and Water Conservation Fund for easements and land acquisition at three endangered Civil War battlefields: Richmond Battlefield, Ky.; Franklin Battlefield, Tenn.; and Bentonville Battlefield, N.C.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of $115.3 million to 124 school districts to improve the quality of teaching American history in our nation’s schools. For a list of grantees, click here.
Before Congress left for its annual August recess, action on the long-stalled fiscal year 2011 budget bills began apace. A number of bills of interest to the historical and archival communities saw action in the final week before the recess.
On July 30, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s scheduled mark up of legislation (H.R. 5616), to reauthorize the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) at a $20 million level from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2015, was postponed indefinitely.
