What We Do

Our programs and community grants offer Illinoisans the opportunity to experience the humanities through a rich variety of formats. From small discussion groups in neighborhood coffee shops, to lectures and performances at cultural venues, to reading and reflection seminars in hospitals across the state, IHC programs broaden public involvement in civic dialogue, deepen the quality of community conversation and reflection, increase public access to the humanities by lowering barriers to participation, and bring humanities activities to unexpected places.

Here are some examples of the diverse programming the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) offers:

All IHC Programs

  • Ask Me Why

    The Illinois Humanities Council has partnered with WBEZ-Chicago to present Ask Me Why, a collection of interviews featuring pairs of individuals who disagree on an issue, taking turns asking each other questions in order to better understand each other and their position.

  • Capitol Forum on America's Future
    Capitol Forum, a year-long civic education initiative of the Choices Program at Brown University, raises international awareness and promotes educated civic exchange among high school students statewide.
  • Community Grants Program

    The Illinois Humanities Council gives Community Grant support to Illinois nonprofit organizations to develop public humanities programs for Illinois audiences and to provide technical assistance or general support to help accomplish their core humanities missions.

  • Folksongs of Illinois
    Folksongs of Illinois is a series of three CDs that document the rich and varied history of folk and popular music in Illinois.
  • Former Programs
    A listing of programs that IHC has sponsored in the past.
  • IHC Road Scholars Speakers Bureau
    The IHC Road Scholars Speakers Bureau allows non-profit organizations the opportunity to offer high-quality, free public humanities programs to local audiences.
  • Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Healthcare
    Literature & Medicine is a discussion-based program that brings hospital staff together monthly to reflect on the larger mission of medicine through facilitated conversations about literature.
  • Museum on Main Street (MoMS)
    MoMS, a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, offers high-quality traveling exhibitions to small museums, libraries, and historical societies in Illinois towns with populations of 25,000 or less, or by invitation.
  • The Meaning of Service (MoS)
    The Meaning of Service (MoS) is a national reading and discussion program for service volunteers featuring discussions that use short philosophical and literary texts on the nature of justice, service, and related themes.
  • The Odyssey Project
    Odyssey provides a college-level introduction to the humanities through text-based seminars led by professors at top-tier colleges and universities to help adults with low incomes more actively shape their own lives and the lives of their families and communities.
  • The Public Humanities Award

    The Public Humanities Award recognizes individuals and organizations for their contributions to public understanding of the role the humanities play in transforming lives and strengthening communities.

  • The Public Square
    The Public Square fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social, and political issues with an emphasis on social justice.
  • The Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award
    The Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award is a biennial honor bestowed on individuals who carry the torch of the humanities. These humanities heroes are nominated by Illinois mayors.
  • Velosophie
    Velosophie is a reading-discussion program that combines physical, outdoor excursions in natural settings with evening reading and reflection.
  • Voices: A Collection of Illinois Stories
    Voices is an annual radio series that showcases a wide variety of programs created or funded by the Illinois Humanities Council. The series is produced by 98.7WFMT, Chicago's Classical Experience.