The West Virginia Humanities Council aims to support and promote public humanities programming for audiences in West Virginia. Through their efforts, they facilitate understanding and appreciation of the humanities, encompassing a wide range of disciplines, to foster a deep sense of the human condition, heritage, and the relevance of humanities in contemporary society.
The grant program offered by the West Virginia Humanities Council is designed to provide matching funds to nonprofit organizations that deliver public humanities programming to audiences in West Virginia. The grants support a broad range of humanities projects, including but not limited to seminars, explorations in literature, language, history, and the arts. A specific aspect of this grant program is the Teacher Institute grants, which are aimed at developing summer seminars on humanities topics for both secondary and elementary teachers. These projects have covered various subjects such as writing, world music and cultures, and have even included teacher travels to other countries for immersive experiences. The overarching goal is to enhance the educational landscape through humanities-focused programming that enriches educators and audiences alike.