Fed/State Programs
 A grant from California Humanities supported the California State University, Fresno, program “Indigenous Wisdom: Celebrating Our Central Valley Indigenous Elders,” organized by CSU Fresno faculty and local community members. This program included a community dinner and film screening showcasing the life and work of three Central Valley Indigenous elders and provided a space for Indigenous youth, students, and the larger Central Valley community to strengthen bonds through art, shared experiences, and storytelling. In particular, the project brought together tribal students and youth with elders as a way to keep Indigenous knowledge and traditions alive.
Challenge Programs
 Recently, the University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) Jane Addams Hull-House Museum and Gallery 400, was awarded the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Climate Smart Humanities Organizations grant through the Office of Challenge Programs. The award, $180,000 which will be matched by NEH 1:1, for a total of $360,000, is for the creation of a Strategic Climate Action Plan. UIC was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2016 after receiving a multi-year grant from the Department of Education to increase the number of Latino and low-income students attaining degrees. Earlier this year, UIC appointed its first director of Hispanic-Serving Institutions initiatives to help coordinate campus efforts for Latino students as they prepare for their future careers..
The Climate Smart Humanities Organization award is intended to support mitigation and adaptation planning for climate risks for Gallery 400 and the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (JAHHM). Affirming its commitment to environmental justice, UIC is steadfast in supporting equitable living spaces and community environments. In collaboration with the School of Art and Art History (SAAH), the award will work towards a strategic planning process that will accelerate their campus-wide goal of zero-emissions. This project also includes education around “how to achieve environmental justice through applying ethically responsible ways of mitigating and adapting to climate changes in both practice and discourse.” Gallery 400 and JAHHM will complete a comprehensive assessment and energy audit, assess climate-related risks for collections, prepare interventions for carbon neutrality, and engage communities, including faculty, staff, and students.
If your institution is interested in climate action and adaptation planning, the Climate Smart Humanities Organization award is live. The deadline for proposals is September 17, 2025, and optional drafts are due August 8, 2025. The maximum award amount is $300,000; the award requires matching. For more information and/or to schedule a meeting to discuss further, please reach out to the Office of Challenge programs at challenge@neh.gov or 202-606-8309.
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