A monthly serving of illuminating programs for all Granite Staters!
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A monthly serving of illuminating programs for all Granite Staters
On Wednesday, March 12, more than 50 guests gathered at the Woman's Club of Concord for an intimate conversation hosted by New Hampshire Humanities, Dismas Home New Hampshire, and the NH Department of Corrections. The event focused on how literature can be a tool for addressing incarceration, substance abuse, and mental health challenges.
New Hampshire native Gloria Norris, author of the memoir KooKooLand, was joined by Laurel Ayotte from Dismas Home—where women are reading Norris' book—along with Tiffani Arsenault from the NH Department of Corrections, where incarcerated parents at the NH State Prison for Men are also reading KooKooLand. Together, they shared powerful stories in a discussion led by Connections program manager Mary Nolin, about the power of literature to change lives. Stay tuned for the full story!
Photo: Geoff Forester/Concord Monitor
Join us for Humanities@Home Friday, March 28, 5 pm on Zoom
Presented by Ashley Miller, NH State Archivist
Learn how to collect, organize, and share your family's stories, photos, and documents in a way that’s both fun and meaningful. We'll dive into practical tips for interviewing relatives, digitizing old records, and using genealogy tools to trace your ancestry. You'll learn smart techniques for storing and safeguarding priceless memories, ensuring they’re passed down for generations to come. Plus, discover creative ways to bring your family history to life—think scrapbooks, online archives, and unique storytelling projects. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your research, this session will give you the inspiration and resources to preserve and celebrate your family’s legacy.
Presenter: Ashley Miller is the New Hampshire State Archivist within the Secretary of State's Office. She holds a Master of Arts in History and a Master of Science in Archival Management from Simmons College. (Photo of Ashley Miller, courtesy of NH Secretary of State)
If you missed our February Humanities@Home program, Are We What We Eat? Stories About Food & Ourselves, presenter Shanta Lee allowed us to record and share this wonderful program! WATCH HERE
You're invited to a special reception & open house: JEFFERSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 178 Meadows Road, Jefferson, NH Saturday, April 19th from 1:00-4:00 pm (program: 1:30-2:45 pm)
Join us for a special gathering featuring a brief program, Stone Walls and Cellar Holes, presented by Humanities to Go speaker Adair Mulligan. We'll also recognize the NHH Jere Daniell Public Humanities Teacher Fellow Mallory Langkau-Gross, a social studies teacher at Groveton High School, and hear brief remarks from Joe Marshall, president of the Jefferson Historical Society, about the Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit, on display from March 29 to May 10, 2025. The event will conclude with cake and refreshments—everyone is welcome!
Experience the Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit, part of the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street initiative! The nationally known exhibit is making its way through various locations in New Hampshire and Vermont. Running through September 2025, the Crossroads exhibit invites local communities to explore how rural America has evolved and the challenges and changes it faces.
March 29 – May 11: Jefferson Historical Society, Jefferson, NHDetails
(See the related invitation above!)
May 31 - Aug. 9: Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth, NHDetails Aug. 25 - Sept. 28: Old Stone House Museum, Brownington, VTDetails
Crossroads: Change in Rural America is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution, New Hampshire Humanities, and Vermont Humanities. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
Virtual humanities delivered to your living room!
Tuesday, March 18, 7:00 pm Sinking of the USS Indianapolis: Disaster and Survival in WWII Presenter: Michael Tougias, hosted by Friends of the Madison Library Details
Thursday, March 20, 6:30 pm Ernest Harold Baynes: New Hampshire’s Own Doctor Doolittle Presenter: Mary Kronenwetter, hosted by Wiggin Memorial Library Details
Tuesday, April 1, 6:30 pm (hybrid) Moved and Seconded: Town Meeting in New Hampshire Presented by Rebecca Rule, hosted by Howe Library Details
Recent community projects funded by NHH
PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY National History Day - NH 2025 ($5,000)
History Day is a dynamic competition where middle and high school students bring history to life through essays, posters, and performances. With guidance from their social studies teachers, they compete at the state level for a chance to advance to Nationals in Washington, D.C. The grant covers registration fees for state winners who need financial support and helps fund future educators serving as mentors and chaperones. Interested in volunteering as a judge? Contact Kelsie.Eckert@plymouth.edu
NH Book Festival 2025 ($5,000)
A grant to the 2025 Book Festival, taking place on October 3-4 in downtown Concord, will cover author honorariums, ensuring a diverse range of voices can attend and share their stories—enriching the experience for readers of all backgrounds. This year, the festival is expanding access with livestreaming and recorded sessions, allowing more Granite Staters to participate and enjoy the event. Details
COALITION FOR OPEN DEMOCRACY Granite State Democracy Tour ($2,785)
The return of Knit Democracy Together, an interactive project led by Eve Carnahan and Martha Madsen, will travel to multiple locations, inviting participants to create small figures for a knit State House while engaging in expert-led discussions on civics. Thanks to NHH funding, two special events will feature children's book authors reading stories about civics and democracy for young audiences, April 5 at the Portsmouth Public Library, and April 26, at the NH Historical Society, Concord.
Join us when the Granite State Democracy Tour stops in Keene on Saturday, March 29 at the Mason Library, Keene State College, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm.
See the knitted NH State House created by many NH citizens and explore artifacts from the Doris “Granny D” Haddock collection, including the sneakers she wore when she walked across the U.S. States to raise awareness about the influence of money in elections. Details
SOUHEGAN HIGH SCHOOL ETHICS
HYPE (Hosting Young Philosophy Enthusiasts) 2025($5,000)
This unique philosophy conference on March 20 in Durham is designed and led entirely by high school students, bringing nearly 1,000 students from 50 schools across New England together for a day of deep discussion and critical thinking. This year’s central question is: “How does empathy affect our interaction with the world around us?” Students will also serve as facilitators and have raised over $8,000 to support the program! More
THEATRE KAPOW Expanding the Canon 5
The fifth Expanding the Canon play reading circlecontinues this month with works of Latiné playwrights, curated by Jorge Donoso, a Colombian-born, New York City-based performer and community organizer. Participants read the play and materials on their own and gather once a month over Zoom for a lively and enriching conversation. Participation is FREE. All events take place at 2:00 pm on Zoom. For more information or to RSVP for the play reading circles,click here.
Sunday, April 13, Play 4: Native Gardensby Karen Zacarías
Saturday, May 10, Play 5: Glock 17 by Vero Villalobos
A collaboration between NHH, the University of NH, and the Center for the Book at the NH State Library, public libraries around the state are hosting conversations about the poems in Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology. Sets of Latino Poetry will be loaned to each library for use in their program thanks to the support of New Hampshire Humanities and Gibson's Bookstore.Learn more!
Wednesday, March 19 at 6:00 pm Pease Public Library, Plymouth Music & Performance
Wednesday, April 2 at 6:00 pm Exeter Public Library Family & Community Wednesday, April 9 at 6:00 pm Bethlehem Public Library Voice & Resistance
Help playtest a storytelling game for social change!
A recent community project grant to Queerlective funded a story-driven game, We Are Your Neighbors, designed to provide an immersive experience about the lived experiences of queer, BIPOC, and other marginalized individuals. By focusing on social determinants of health, the game seeks to create greater understanding and empathy among players about the challenges faced by these communities. You can be part of a test group to help shape the final game, share valuable feedback, and engage in conversations on identity and activism.
Playtest We Are Your Neighbors! Saturday, March 29, 2025, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH Playtest Sessions: 2:15 pm and 5:00 pm
With the250th anniversary of American independence upon us, the New Hampshire Historical Society and New Hampshire Humanities invite representatives from museums, cultural organizations, and local historical societies around the state to join us for a summit on the upcoming celebrations and commemorations. Find out what organizations in New Hampshire have planned, share ideas with your colleagues, and learn about potential grant opportunities. This is an in-person event, and we ask that no more than two people attend per organization. There is no charge for this summit. Register through Humanitix.
Thank you to our recent generous funders of our Connections adult book discussion program that brings the best of children’s, young adult, and adult literature to more than 500 adult learners each year! www.nhhumanities.org/Connections
Host a virtual watch party!
While our virtual humanities programs make watching at home by yourself possible, it can be more fun watching (and talking) with others! A few libraries around the state have started hosting “watch parties” where community members can watch and then talk about the program together. NHH encourages this wonderful use of our digital programming, either when it is livestreamed, or at any time you like for the digital programming on our website under Digital Resources or on our YouTube page.Please drop us an email atprograms@nhhumanities.orgif you do this so we know you are part of our audience!
Are you witnessing a decline in civic engagement?
There is a solution to malaise and mistrust – it is the humanities!New Hampshire Humanities’ mission is to connect people and ideas and promote the common good. We provided free, quality humanities programs to over 98 public libraries, 79 historical societies and many social and community groups in 2024. We funded oral history projects, community-wide reads, and exhibitions focusing on under-represented histories. Our support of our partners strengthens communities by providing opportunities to connect, build community pride, and join facilitated discussions.
We cannot do this without our partner organizations throughout the Granite State – and you! Click the red button above or clickHERE.
"[A] single class session was both inspiring and a testament to the humanities’ power to cultivate future leaders. The NHH Community Project Grant, which made this program possible, demonstrated how investments in humanities education can spark curiosity, empower youth, and prepare them to shape a better world.”
~ Maheen Tariq, Project Director, World Affairs Council Community Project Grant recipient 2024
News from our cultural partners:
The Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, Inc. has named Susan Geier its new executive director. Geier has nearly two decades of marketing and communications experience working in the nonprofit, legal, marketing, and public health sectors and has a background as a journalist. She succeeds Laura Simoes, who served in the role since January 2020. Read more
The League of NH Craftsmen has named Kate Saunders as its new executive director. Following a five-month interim leadership term, the Board of Directors of the League named Saunders to become the full-time executive director. Read article from The Concord Insider
The Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies is proud to announce a new award to recognize a teacher who has made outstanding contributions to Holocaust and genocide education in New Hampshire. Education is vital to building a world free of antisemitism, intolerance, and hatred, and this award spotlights teachers who are building a better world through their positive impact on their students, their schools, and, by extension, their communities. The deadline for nominations/applications has been adjusted to March 17, 2025. Details about eligibility, criteria, and nominations/applications,click here.
UNH Center for the Humanities An educator workshop funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, From the Fragments: Places and People in Colonized New England, will focus on colonial history in New Hampshire. A combination of expert lectures, immersive place-based field trips, and online resources will help educators develop ways to share an early American story much more complex than captured in popular Thanksgiving tales. Educators from many disciplines, grade levels, and places are welcome. Held July 7-11 or July 14-18, the deadline to register is in March. Details
Ethics Institute at Saint Anselm College
Drawing the Line: Race, Gender, Ethics, and the Arts conference will be held March 28-29 at the NH Institute of Politics. Free and open to the public with remote participation available. Details
The next public Ethics in Our Worlddiscussion will feature John Basl of Northeastern University presentingAn Ethics Ecosystem for AI and Big Data: Why? What? How?on Wednesday, March 26th at the Spotlight Room in the Palace Theatre, Manchester from 5:30-6:30 pm, including a Q&A on ethics and AI. Details
Thank you to the following Annual Partners who provide year-round support for our work:
New Hampshire Humanities appreciates your help in growing engagement on all our platforms! Join our community of those who are passionate about the humanities by sharing this content by email or on social media, and thank you!
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