When you read Good Night Moon to your grandchild, discuss a book with your book club, or have an "informed" discussion with your best friend about the last time the Cubs won the World Series, you are practicing the humanities. Since 1973, the Illinois Humanities Council has been helping people all over the state to have greater access to the wisdom and wonder of the humanities – through our grants and through the programs that we provide.
Some examples…
Through IHC programs:
- People are gathering in coffee shops in Chicago, Oak Park, and Carbondale to discuss issues that are important to them;
- Health care workers are gathering in hospitals and hospices to read and discuss literature about issues raised by their work;
- AmeriCorps volunteers are meeting to discuss texts that help them reflect on the meaning of their public service;
- Low-income adults in Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, and Chicago are finding a stronger voice and place in society through reading and discussing classic texts.
These activities benefit us as individuals and as citizens.
Our humanities lectures, seminars, and programs are challenging, inspiring, and free of charge.
We need your help to insure that all the people of Illinois are able to benefit from the humanities and our educational programs.
How can you help? By becoming a friend of the IHC.
Explore our site and learn more about programs like The Odyssey Project and Literature & Medicine, or visit our online exhibition Kiosk. Join our mailing list and receive our latest updates. Check out our calendar and attend one of our events.
And please, consider helping us give the people of Illinois a chance to experience what the humanities have to offer: education, reflection, and civic participation. Your gifts strengthen our capabilities as well as our vision for the future.
Thank you.
Kristina Valaitis
Executive Director, Illinois Humanities Council
