WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced it has awarded $2.8 million in funding to the 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils and interim partners to support civics education and American history programs that deepen audience understanding of and commitment to our nation’s core principles of our nation’s constitutional government and democracy.

“As we celebrate Constitution Day, I could not be more pleased to announce NEH support for 56 new local initiatives that will invite audiences across the country to reflect on our diverse history and the ideals that have animated the republic for more than 200 years,” said NEH Acting Chairman Adam Wolfson. “NEH is proud to assist our state and jurisdictional affiliates in developing a wide range of resources to foster civil discourse and increase students’ understanding of our systems of government and give them the skills and knowledge to participate in civic life.”

Each council and interim partner will receive $50,000 to develop scholar-led humanities projects that engage local communities, educators, and students in reflection, study, and discussion of American and community history, and the rights and responsibilities of active citizenship.

These funds are awarded under NEH’s special initiative, “A More Perfect Union,” which is designed to demonstrate and enhance the critical role the humanities play in our nation and support projects that help Americans commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The “A More Perfect Union” initiative supports projects that explore, reflect on, and tell the stories of our quest for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society throughout our history.

“Our member councils are honored and enthusiastic to have an opportunity to collaborate with NEH on its timely ‘A More Perfect Union’ initiative. Rooted in civics, ethics, and storytelling, and driven by the histories and lived experiences of the diverse communities they serve, the state and jurisdictional humanities councils are uniquely poised to create and conduct programs that explore our nation’s past, present, and future,” said Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils.

This supplemental funding will support a wide range of projects in communities large and small across the United States and U.S. territories. They include community reading and discussion programs, creation of educational materials and civics education programs for schools, exhibitions, lecture series, civics-oriented podcasts and television programs, and state grant programs to fund organizations focusing on history education, civics literacy, and civil discourse. Several of the proposed projects focus on founding documents and constitutional governance, state and regional history, Native American and Indigenous history and culture, and issues of racial, social, and gender equality. Many will build upon or expand ongoing work by the humanities councils to advance knowledge of history and civics.

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National Endowment for the Humanities: Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.