About

The mission of the New York Council for the Humanities is to help all New Yorkers become thoughtful participants in our communities by promoting critical inquiry, cultural understanding, and civic engagement. Founded in 1975, the New York Council for the Humanities is the sole statewide proponent of public access to the humanities. The Council is a private 501(c)3 that receives Federal, State, and private funding.

What does it mean to be human? This question has given rise to the fields known collectively as “the humanities,” which examine what humans have created, debated, done and believed throughout the millennia. The skills and methods of the humanities—reading, analysis, discussion, critical thinking; about history, ideas, arts, texts—help connect us to one another and to lead meaningful lives. The Council’s vision is to create a vibrant, growing public humanities community that engages all New Yorkers in civic participation, volunteerism, philanthropy, and community involvement, and reconnects people to our rich state and local history.

Grants

The Grants Program is a statewide resource for support of a wide variety of lectures, festivals, panel discussions, walking tours, and the planning and implementation of exhibitions and other ventures at small and large not-for-profit institutions throughout New York State. Through this program, the Council distributes federal funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities directly to notable projects created by museums, libraries, historical societies, and other cultural and educational organizations.

Speakers

Speakers in the Humanities offers a feast of more than 200 lectures by a renowned and diverse group of some 150 scholars is available to hundreds of cultural organizations and community groups across the state, an exciting program open to any not-for-profit organization in New York, including high schools.

Signature Programs

Meaning of Service >

Meaning of Service is the Council's reading and discussion series for AmeriCorps members, available free of charge to any New York State AmeriCorps program. Sessions feature facilitated conversations about short philosophical and literary texts on the themes of associating, serving, giving and leading.

Community Conversations >
Community Conversations brings together members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short reading. Throughout the year, the Council provides materials for community groups to
discuss current events together.

Conversations Bureau >
The Conversations Bureau promotes thoughtful, engaged community dialogue, using a short text and a scholar-facilitator as a guide.

Literature & Medicine >
Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care® is a national award-winning, hospital-based, scholar-led humanities reading and discussion program for health care professionals.

Reading Between the Lines >

Reading Between the Lines is an innovative book discussion program for people who love to read and who thrive in a setting that provides stimulating conversation through an open exchange of ideas and opinions. We work with university-based scholars to offer these free, monthly reading groups at local libraries, museums, historical societies, and civic forums throughout the state.

Together—Book Talk for Kids and Parents >

Together—Book Talk for Kids and Parents brings together parents and their 9-to-11 year old children in a library setting to explore and debate important issues about American identity and life, using the shared context of books. The Council also offers a dual language version of the program, Unidos—Charlas de libros para ninos y padres, for Spanish-speaking populations.