To promote understanding and appreciation of the people, communities, culture, and stories of importance to Iowa and the nation. Humanities Iowa emphasizes the participation of humanities scholars to foster dialogue, critical thinking, and analysis in public settings. It acknowledges that scholarly and learning contributions can come from both advanced academic degrees and diverse cultural traditions.
Humanities Iowa grants support humanities programming that engages communities, non-profit organizations, and humanities scholars in exploring crucial stories shaping Iowa and the nation. Projects should actively involve humanities scholars to encourage dialogue, critical thinking, and analysis in a public setting. These initiatives may include symposia, community storytelling events, cultural discussion series, exhibitions, post-performance/film conversations, and rural archives preservation for public access. The aim is to fund projects that make new stories heard, support rural communities, highlight distinctive elements of Iowa, and engage new groups in receiving funding for the first time.