CT Humanities’ Board of Directors recently approved 9 grant awards totaling $162,354 in funding from the State of Connecticut.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cyndi Tolosa, ctolosa@cthumanities.org 860.986.6704
Middletown, CT (July 23, 2026) – CT Humanities’ most recent round of Capacity, Planning, and Implementation grants support several initiatives and projects such as developing a high school curriculum and completing documentaries on CT and American histories.
“Stewards of the Sea” is a collaborative project between Mystic Aquarium, Stonington High School, and Mystic Seaport Museum that will develop a high school curriculum exploring how we understand and depend on the ocean, including exposure to workforce opportunities. Pushing the Rock is a documentary series by The John Brown Project exploring how race, law, and culture shape the American experiment and how history shapes the present. Other funded projects include a capacity-building initiative to train bilingual storytellers, planning and conservation for an early aviation exhibit, and a traveling program and exhibit exploring Dominican migration, culture, and identity in Connecticut.
“This round of grants explores hundreds of years of history and culture and their continued impact across our state today,” said Grants Officer Becky Vitkauskas. “Exhibits, documentaries films, a public school curriculum, and professional development will improve the outreach and impact of underrepresented voices and contemporary issues.”
The full list of funded programs is:
CAPACITY GRANTS:
Connecticut Storytelling Center (New London, $9,600)
Bilingual Storytellers in Connecticut Schools
The Connecticut Storytelling Center, in conjunction with consultant Jasmin Cardenas, will train three bilingual (Spanish/English) storytellers to provide literacy enrichment in Connecticut schools. Experienced teaching artists will pair with novice storytellers and will train with Jasmin during the summer of 2026. During the 2026-27 school year, trainees will observe a teaching artist in action, and then share a residency with their mentor in schools with high Hispanic populations.
The Last Green Valley (Killingly, $9,999)
Building on Success: Planning An Innovative CORE Center for The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor.
TLGV is seeking support to fund a master plan assessment for the creation of an innovative discovery center and hub anchored in the ideals of Community, Outreach, Relationships and Education (CORE). The master plan will maximize TLGV’s ability to serve the communities in the National Heritage Corridor as we create the CORE Center.
PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS:
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (Hartford, $3,000)
Come Hail or High Water: Connecticut Farmers and the Weather
Come Hail or High Water: Connecticut Farmers and the Weather opens February 11, 2027, and runs through January 2, 2028. This exhibition will examine the dynamic relationship between farming and the weather through the perspectives of farmers both past and present. Visitors will learn how weather drives daily farm life, feel the devastating impacts of disasters on farms, and explore how farmers and their networks have continuously innovated and adapted to ensure the viability of their industry.
Dominican American Coalition (Bridgeport, $5,000)
Dominican Heritage Across Connecticut: Migration, Culture, and Community Identity
The Dominican American Coalition will implement a multi-site public humanities project exploring Dominican migration, culture, and identity in Connecticut. Through public discussions, storytelling sessions, and a traveling interpretive cultural exhibition, the program will take place across seven community centers in Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven, Danbury, Waterbury, East Hartford, and Norwich. Programs will occur between September 2026 and December 2026.
The John Brown Project (Torrington, $34,731)
Pushing the Rock: Three Questions About Race, Law, and the American Experiment
Pushing the Rock is a documentary series using inquiry-driven storytelling to explore how race, law, and culture shape the American experiment. Episodes center on a provocative question, pairing historians, lived experience, and cultural references to interpret how history shapes the present.
The project is in post-production, with a premiere planned for America 250 in 2026 in Torrington, CT, followed by community screenings, educational presentations, festivals, and free public access online.
The Mark Twain House & Museum (Hartford, $24,999)
TradeMARK’d: Advertising, Propaganda, and Kitsch of Mark Twain
The Mark Twain House and Museum’s exhibit, TradeMARK’d (opening November 2026) explores how Samuel Clemens built a global identity as “Mark Twain”. Mark Twain created the idea of the “quintessential American”, but he remains a complicated figure whose writings exposed the human condition through his literary artistry using common culture, beliefs, and history to connect our lived experiences with the past. It is a space that will reward curiosity, invite play, and spark conversation.
Mystic Aquarium (Stonington, $22,000)
Stewards of the Sea
Stewards of the Sea will develop an innovative, integrated high school curriculum that brings together Stonington High School, Mystic Aquarium, and Mystic Seaport Museum to explore the evolving ways humans understand, value, and depend upon the ocean. By intentionally marrying academic content with hands-on learning, maritime heritage resources, and exposure to careers and conservation workforce opportunities, the project will create unique and inclusive pathways to ocean-related careers.
New England Air Museum (Windsor Locks, $18,025)
Up & Away: Planning a Lighter-Than-Air Exhibition at the New England Air Museum
The New England Air Museum is planning a major humanities-based exhibition exploring the cultural, scientific, and regional significance of lighter-than-air (LTA) flight. Centered on nationally significant artifacts, including the Silas M. Brooks Basket, this project will fund research, conservation planning, and exhibit design development. These efforts will establish the intellectual and physical framework for a permanent exhibition that reinterprets early aviation through a humanities lens.
Ridgefield Historical Society (Ridgefield, $35,000)
The Battle of Ridgefield: A New Look at 250
This documentary will bring the 1777 Battle of Ridgefield to life through new archaeological and forensic discoveries led by the Ridgefield Historical Society. Following archaeologists, historians, and scientists, the film will trace the battle’s movement through town, examine skeletal remains believed to be battle casualties, and reveal why Connecticut’s Revolutionary War history still matters today. It will premiere in April 2027 and be shared online with educators, students, and the public.
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Connecticut 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.
