The Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities aims to connect people with ideas that broaden perspectives, enrich lives, and strengthen communities. It emphasizes the movement of humanities knowledge beyond academic settings, fostering public engagement in vital community conversations concerning both current concerns and the exploration of possible futures. This mission is grounded in Hawai‘i’s unique context, emphasizing kuleana (responsibility) to its communities’ histories and futures, courage in addressing important questions, providing a space for diverse voices, and building connections that enhance community resilience and adaptability.
The grant program offered by the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities supports projects that align with its mission of promoting understanding and exploration in the humanities. Specifically, the Preservation & Access Grants focus on projects that cherish (mālama) history and seek to preserve and make accessible community-important resources for researchers, students, and the general public. These projects can span a variety of humanities fields such as history, philosophy, literature, languages and linguistics, and more, with an emphasis on fostering a deeper understanding of human values, histories, and cultures. The program values initiatives that connect these academic explorations with the broader public, aiming to build communities that are knowledgeable, engaged, and resilient.