Mission

The Missouri Humanities Council enables families and communities to broaden their appreciation of history, literature, and the ideas that shape our democracy.

The Missouri Humanities Council exists to:

• Develop and encourage new avenues to find and tell the story of Missouri’s people, to learn about our rich culture and history, and to identify and discuss our common values.
• Foster curiosity among individuals of all ages, by educating, inspiring, and providing a foundation for understanding the history that has brought us to our present circumstances, and utilizing this knowledge to inform the present.
• Reach out to Missourians of all ages and from all backgrounds to promote literacy and encourage multi-generational learning activities as a means of enriching and expanding lives.
• Partner effectively with museums, libraries, historical societies, schools, and other institutions so that they may better serve communities and foster high levels of public interest and involvement.
• Provide technical, managerial and financial support to communities, organizations and educational institutions to ensure their ongoing role in promoting the humanities.

Values

We believe in:

• Fostering greater awareness and appreciation for the history, literature, philosophy, arts, laws, religions, folklore, and politics that contribute to a dynamic and diverse society
• The importance of critical thinking in a democracy
• Enhancing human potential through a life of learning
• Increasing the value of humanities in local institutions
• Serving as a change agent to ensure that programs and activities positively impact citizens and communities
• Incorporating cultural diversity into local awareness of identity and heritage
• Supporting local creativity
• The power of interactive, face-to-face programs
• Encouraging civil discussion about issues
• Intellectual honesty
• The value of partnerships to accomplish goals
• Fiscal integrity

Programs and Services

• READ from the START... family reading initiative teaches parents and caregivers the wonder and importance of early reading with their children by offering books and opportunities to share ideas and experiences.
• Governor's Awards... honor scholars, educators, writers, and community leaders annually, celebrating their achievements in cultural heritage and humanities. Nominations are accepted throughout the year.
• Chautauqua... helps communities interpret and celebrate a shared history through character representations by historian-performers similar to the Chautauqua of 100 years ago.
• Cultural Heritage Development... assists museums and local institutions in developing the capacity to fully convey interesting human stories while improving the means of heritage interpretation.
• Charettes... Outreach, Strategic Planning, and Interpretive Planning seminars for humanities institutions such as museums and historical societies, and for community organizations working on interpretive planning and team-building for heritage tourism.
• Touring exhibit partnerships encourage Missouri institutions to develop public programs to accompany traveling exhibits provided by the "Museum on Main Street" rural initiative of the Smithsonian Institution and other sources.
• Grants... offer financial assistance to communities through non-profit organizations as they improve the ways they interpret heritage and shape community. The Missouri Humanities Council funds locally generated programs that fulfill the aims of its Cultural Heritage Development and Many Faces of Missouri program lines.

updated February 19, 2008