Minnesota Humanities Center

Sparking positive change,
creating a more unified society

Join us in unleashing the power of the humanities.

Our Work Fostering Curiosity, Connection, and Compassion

Programming

We curate and co-create thought-provoking conversations, traveling exhibits, books and films, and other offerings that examine our society, institutions, cultures, and what it means to be human.

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Grantmaking

We grant funds to individuals, nonprofits, schools, museums, and organizations across the state who leverage the humanities to deepen connection and understanding in their communities.

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Open Applications and Opportunities

Host Spark! Places of Innovation

Apply by May 31, 2026
Spark! Places of Innovation is a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program. The exhibit dives into innovation and invention happening in rural America.

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Host We Are Water MN

Apply by May 31, 2026
We Are Water MN deepens connections between the humanities and water through a network of partnerships, a traveling exhibit, and public events.

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Request for Proposals – Voices Forward Poetry Mentors

Proposals due by May 8, 2026

Voices Forward is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of programs created by humanities councils and local partners.

MHC invites proposals from working Minnesota poets, individuals, or organizations currently mentoring youth in the arts to serve as Poetry Mentors for Voices Forward, a youth poetry and public humanities initiative commemorating America’s Semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary.

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“We should not permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.”

Booker T. Washington

Join Us in Creating a More Unified Society

Learn more about yourself, our communities, and our society or share your unique vision about the human experience or our world.

Get Involved

Attend an Upcoming Event

Apr
30
North Mankato – Social Studies Standards Workshop Series

The Social Studies Standards Workshop Series is a two-day workshop series (February 23 and April 30, 2026) designed to equip K–12 teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully implement the new social studies standards by the 2026–27 school year.

May
01
St. Paul – Learning from Place: Little Africa Plaza

Explore Little Africa Plaza and hear from community leaders and culture bearers about the vision behind the new development and the role of African entrepreneurs in shaping the cultural corridor.

May
05
St. Paul – Project Citizen Student Showcase

Join us for the first annual Project Citizen Student Showcase where student teams will present their civic engagement projects and learn how youth can actively shape their communities.

May
05
Online Content Session – Era Nine: Contested Freedoms

Evaluate how recent U.S. history—1990s to present—shaped American debates over democracy, rights, and responses to global and domestic crises. Led by Dr. Walter Greason and moderated by Dr. Katharine Gerbner, this session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.

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The humanities remind each and every one of us that we are not alone here…When we truly look at what we’re asking and who we are, we can see the beauty that is all around us.

– Dr. Shelly C. Lowe, former Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities

Host Your Event

We help groups convene and connect around their own programming through rental of our full-service event center in St. Paul.

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