Founded in 1980 as the D.C. Community Humanities Council, Humanities DC funded several high-profile documentary films including The Stone Carvers in 1984, Fishing in the City in 1986, and Fine Food, Fine Pastries, Open 6 to 9 in 1989. During the 1990s, Humanities DC began producing its own public programming, to complement the public-humanities work of its grantees. In 2005, in partnership with the DC Office of Historic Preservation, Humanities DC launched the DC Community Heritage Project, a combination of grants and programs aimed at empowering DC residents to research, disseminate, and preserve their own community histories. In 2010, Humanities DC created the DC Digital Museum, an online repository of projects funded through its grant programs. The DC Digital Museum's collection of interpreted and primary source materials are available for download, streaming, or to borrow depending on copyright limitations.
Current activities
Humanities DC continues to offer a combination of grants and public programs.
Grants
Major Grant - Up to $5000 awarded for humanities projects that will benefit the residents of Washington, DC.
Small Grant - Up to $1500 awarded for project planning, research, printing, or other marginal program costs.
Soul of the City Grant - Up to $10,000 for activities modeled after Humanities DC's youth leadership program.
DC Community Heritage Project Grant - Up to $2500 for projects documenting DC communities and neighborhoods.
Who's a Washingtonian? Grant - Up to $5000 for projects that bring Washingtonians together around issues of mutual concern.
Programs
Soul of the City - An award-winning youth program that uses the humanities disciplines to encourage leadership.
Humanitini - A monthly program that brings an engaging panel of humanists into a DC bar or restaurant during happy hour.
House History Days - These workshops are conducted twice a year in either the Washingtoniana Division at the DC Public Library or the Historical Society of Washington, DC. Participants learn how to use archival resources to research the history of their historic properties.
DC Community Heritage Project Showcase - Recent DCCHP grantees display their projects at a public event.
DC Digital Museum
The DC Digital Museum is an archive of interpreted and primary source materials related to life in Washington, DC. The collection is built around the funded projects Humanities DC has collected since its founding. In 2014, Humanities DC launched Your DC Digital Museum, a series of public digitization events aimed at teaching residents about personal digital preservation and encouraging new submissions to the digital collection.
