In brief
An overview of our programs.
Oregon Humanities Grants support public programs designed to explore the humanities in participatory and dynamic ways. We encourage applications from a broad range of nonprofit organizations in Oregon, including those that may not define their work as being based in the humanities. We especially welcome inquiries for projects that will attract diverse audiences, engage minds, and stimulate meaningful community dialogue.
The Conversation Project offers Oregon nonprofits free programs that engage community members in thoughtful, challenging conversations about ideas critical to our daily lives and our state's future. Conversations are facilitated by some of Oregon's most respected humanities scholars.
HIP is a free college humanities course for adults who do not have a college degree and who face financial barriers to continuing their education. Students read and discuss everything from Greek tragedies and philosophy to modern poetry and plays, experiencing new ideas and new ways of seeing themselves and the world. The course is taught by college faculty and meets twice a week in the evenings.
Idea Lab (formerly Happy Camp: Summer Honors Symposium) is a summer program where Oregon teens and teachers use the humanities to explore the pursuit of happiness and how it shapes our culture.
Think & Drink is a happy-hour series that sparks provocative conversations about big ideas. The series, which invites the public to think and talk together, reflects Oregon Humanities' emphasis on infusing important public conversations with critical thinking and fresh ideas. All Think & Drink events are free and open to the public.
In addition to ongoing regular programming, Oregon Humanities occasionally offers public lectures, panels, and reading and discussion series in communities around the state. We also work in partnership with other organizations to offer this type of programming.
Happy Camp was a summer honors symposium for bright, ambitious, curious teens who use the humanities to consider the pursuit of happiness and how it shapes our culture. In 2012, Happy Camp became Idea Lab.
Oregon Humanities no longer offers summer teacher institutes. We are proud of this program’s seventeen years of service to Oregon secondary school teachers throughout the state and are grateful to our generous funders and outstanding participants for their support.
Program news
What's happening in each of our programs
Grant Guidelines
Letters of interest postmark deadline October 31, 2012
In 2012, Oregon Humanities Public Program Grants funded programs that brought together returning veterans and civilians to better understand life after war, engaged rural Oregonians in discussions about the history of local social movements, explored the connections between classic... More
More news about Grants
The Conversation Project
The Conversation Project
What is the Conversation Project?
The Conversation Project offers Oregon nonprofits free, humanities-based public discussion programs about provocative issues and ideas. In the first three years of the program, more than 140 nonprofits across the state... More
More news about The Conversation Project
Humanity in Perspective Overview
HIP in Portland
Oregon Humanities and Reed College jointly present a free public program to provide economically and educationally disadvantaged individuals in the Portland-metro area the opportunity to study the humanities in a two-semester, college-level course. Both... More
More news about Humanity in Perspective
Idea Lab 2013
A summer institute for high school students and teachers
Idea Lab is a three-day residential institute where twenty-four Oregon high school teachers and over 150 rising seniors from across the state explore the pursuit of happiness through workshops, lectures, films, and discussions.
2013 Oregon Humanities Idea Lab Summer Institute will... More
More news about Idea Lab
Think & Drink on Immigration, Assimilation, and National Identity
The 2013 Think & Drink series, How to Love America, explores our relationship to the nation we call home. The second conversation of four looks at immigration and national identity on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. at the Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St., Portland. The... More
More news about Think & Drink
Rebecca Solnit at PNCA
Oregon Humanities is proud to cosponsor the Pacific Northwest College of Art 2013 Alfred Edelman Lecture, featuring author, activist, and cultural historian Rebecca Solnit. The lecture, entitled “On Getting Lost and What You Find There: Uses of the Unknown for Artists and... More
More news about Special Projects
More news about Happy Camp
Become an Idea Lab Fellow
Moving forward, we will continue to serve Oregon teachers through Idea Lab (formerly Happy Camp: Summer Honors Symposium), founded in 2006, where Oregon teens and teachers gather at the University of Portland each summer for a weekend exploration of the pursuit of happiness.... More
More news about Teacher Institutes
Upcoming
Program events on the horizon
The Geography of We
24 May 2013
Conversation Project: Slow Learners
25 May 2013
The Left Hand of Darkness
25 May 2013
Conversation Project: The Tranquil Dedication of a Lifetime
26 May 2013
Comments
On our programs
Thank you for the advisory and I look forward to joining you on March 13th.
Rev. Renee' Ward, Portland | on OCT grants webinars 2013
Hi, Shalena. We will begin a new series of Think & Drink programs in 2013. Be sure to sign up for our enewsletter (in the column to the left) so you receive that information as soon as it’s available.
Kathleen Holt | on Think & Drink: Future of War
Will the Think and Drink program continue and if so can you let me know the next day of discussion ?
Thank you
Shalena Bos, Portland | on Think & Drink: Future of War
Greetings,
I have a question regarding Oregon food supplies. Oregon is considered an agricultural state. Yet when I go to most major markets (WinCo. for example; a company ownwed and operated by employees withing Oregon) Nearly ALL fresh produce is imported from Mexico, Ecuador, where ever! Do you mean to say it’s cheaper to ship tomatos from Chile than it is from, say, Lakeview?
WHERE is Oregon’s produce? I KNOW we grow it, yet where is it all going and why? Especially when Oregon has a proven and outstanding hunger problem! Oregon needs to be concerned with feeding its own people first! Thank you!
D. Kessler, Gresham, Or. | on Think & Drink Food Security Survey
Congratulations to ORHum for organizing a stimulating and well-attended event. I know Susan Bragdon well, and know of Robert Paarlberg’s work but haven’t met him until the event: Rich Read did a great job facilitating, and Susan and Robert outlined their differences well.
I would be interested to hear what others learned from the event, as it means little if these opportunities simply confirm one’s suspicions, e.g. about GM foods or overconsumption. For me, I came away pondering all the dimensions of food security, and wondering why certain dimensions (primarily the technological) tend to be at the forefront of debate while others receive much less emphasis.
Jim Proctor, Portland, OR | on Think & Drink Food Security Survey
Hi Jan. My first suggestion would be to visit the website for the Regional Arts & Culture Council. You might explore funding through the Washington County Cultural Coalition as well. I’ll email you a list of additional funders as well. Good luck with your project!
Jennifer Allen, Portland | on 2012 PP Grant application period opens
Hello!
I am an educator and volunteer coordinator at an incredible place called Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Our Preserve is 725 acres of wetlands and uplands which are used by nesting birds and wetland animals plus explored by many children and adults,especially bird-watchers. For years the only access to the Preserve was by car; there are no bus lines and it is dangerous to bike on the road. Our organization is working with the City of Hillsboro to construct a trail which would start in downtown Hillsboro and go through our wetlands to an existing Education Center. The reason I am reaching out to you is to see what suggestions you might have for funding a piece of art which would function as a gate to the wetlands, a portland to the natural area after coming out of the urban zone. There will be thousands of people who will use this entry and enjoy the artwork. We have an Artist, Valerie Otani, who creates public art, but we need funds for the materials which would be around $7,000. Do you know of any grants that might fit this need?
Jan Curry - 503-681-6283
Jan Curry, Hillsboro, OR | on 2012 PP Grant application period opens
Hi Theonie,
We would require a formal letter of interest. I’ll give you a call to discuss your program ideas!
Best,
Jennifer
Jennifer Allen, Portland | on Grants Workshops 2011
Sept. 24, 2011 - We have been setting up meetings under the October “National Arts & Huanities” to initiate awareness of an Arts & Wellnes Center
Concept in Wilsonville. The Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council would like to apply for a 2012 Public Program grant to hold a Creative Conversation at the Wilsonville Library after April
1, 2012. Will this message serve as a Letter of Interest due by Oct. 31? Or, do you wnat something
more formal? 503-638-6933
TheonieGilmore | on Grants Workshops 2011
I am interested in a discussion about Race and Change in Oregon through sports culture in Oregon. By looking at the Oregon football and basketball programs of the public universities suggests that enormous change has occurred regarding race in the state.
It is the perfect frame in which to broach a discussion about racial progress and post-race America. I would love to participate in such a conversation with any of the experts that Oregon Humanities has chosen for this year.
Dr. Thabiti Lewis, Portland Urban League | on Conversation Project 2012-13 program offerings