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A More Perfect Union
February 3, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey
President Abraham Lincoln, in commemorating the lives lost during the Civil War, at the Gettysburg Address noted that the United States of America is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Lincoln’s repetition of “people” underscores that our democracy is made and maintained by its citizens.
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Grantee Highlight: YMCA of the North’s Students Voting Program Largest Mock Election of the 2024 Season
January 23, 2025 - By Amy Anderson
On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, as those 18 years and older cast their votes for the presidential election, students across Minnesota cast their ballots for the YMCA of the North’s Students Voting mock election at their respective schools. This program, a collaboration with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office and…
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Creating a Passion for History through Project-Based Learning
November 7, 2024 - By Sammi Jo Papas
National History Day connects students to the past and creates deeper connections Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) was awarded a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities as part of efforts to increase statewide connection and engagement with the deeply impactful National History Day offering to 6-12th grade students. MHC…
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Third Way Civics: Educating Undergraduates for American Democracy
March 4, 2022 - By Trygve Throntveit
“Most students report that they want their post-college lives to be personally rewarding and publicly meaningful.” What does it mean to live in a democracy? This question confronts all peoples aspiring to a life of liberty, security, and dignity. For those living in a political…
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On the Blazing of Trails
March 26, 2021 - By Dr. Theresa Battle
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Minnesota Humanities Center has asked some of our friends to write essays to share with you their thoughts on diverse women’s achievements and challenges over time, in Minnesota and elsewhere. These thoughts and reflections display a variety of perspectives to encourage healthy dialogue,…
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Recovering Women’s Stories/Inventing Women’s History
March 24, 2021 - By Mary K. Boyd
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Minnesota Humanities Center has asked some of our friends to write essays to share with you their thoughts on diverse women’s achievements and challenges over time, in Minnesota and elsewhere. These thoughts and reflections display a variety of perspectives to encourage healthy dialogue,…
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The Case for Civic Education
February 18, 2020 - By Kevin Lindsey
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” The words of President Thomas Jefferson still ring true today more than 200 years later.
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America’s Secret War: A Multimedia Workshop Designed by and for Educators
November 7, 2019 - By Katie Carpenter
In the shadows of the Vietnam War, the CIA conducted a secret war in Laos that relied on Hmong soldiers to prevent the threat of communism from spreading deeper into Southeast Asia. Tens of thousands died, both in the fight and in the escape. The Twin Cities PBS (TPT) documentary,…
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Bruce Lee and the Rules of Engagement
July 23, 2019 - By Karin Aguilar-San Juan
For several years at Macalester College I’ve been teaching a course about Bruce Lee, the iconic martial artist/movie star from the 1970s. The course explores themes of racism, masculinity, and violence. As a lifelong martial arts practitioner myself, I admire Bruce Lee’s skill, perseverance, and insight. In order to prevent…
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The Future is Ours to Shape
April 18, 2019 - By Amy K. Hamlin
I work at St. Catherine University where I am an Associate Professor of Art History and also one of three mission chairs. At St. Kate’s, our mission is to educate women to lead and influence. The three mission chairs correspond to the three pillars of our mission: Catholic, women,…
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