If you are considering conducting an oral history project or would like to learn what is involved in doing one, you should apply to attend this year’s Oral History Institute, June 8-10 on the beautiful campus of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.  The program trains participants in planning and conducting successful oral history projects.  Emphasizing hands-on experience, topics covered in the two-and-a-half-day schedule include framing questions, interviewing techniques, transcribing and archiving, and devising public programs based on oral history.  To develop these skills, participants will work on a practice project that encompasses all stages of oral history.  You will also have an opportunity to consult with experts about your own project.  Additional sessions will be available on using technology in oral history and fundraising.

The faculty from previous year’s institutes will be back this summer.  They are:  Donna DeBlasio, professor of Public History at Youngstown State University, David Mould, professor in the School of Telecommunications at Ohio Univ.; Steve Pashen, senior archives associate at the Kent State Univ. and a past president of OAHSM; Howard Sacks, associate provost, professor of Sociology, and director of the Rural Life Center at Kenyon College.

We encourage volunteers or paid staff from local historical organizations, libraries, schools, and colleges and universities to apply.  Admission to the institute is limited to thirty and is competitive.  The cost of the institute is $275, which includes two nights stay, six meals, a copy of the new book Catching Stories:  A Practical Guide to Oral History, and all other workshop materials.  The Ohio Humanities Council is making available a few partial scholarships to subsidize the cost of the institute. To receive an application, contact the Ohio Humanities Council at (800) 293-9774 or frankd@ohiohumanities.org.

The Catching Stories Oral History Institute is co-sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council and The Rural Life Center at Kenyon College, in cooperation with OAHSM and the Ohio Historical Society.

For an application, contact the Ohio Humanities Council
471 E. Broad St. #1620
(800) 293-9774
frankd@ohiohumanities.org

Application Deadline: May 3

Participation limited to 30

Fee $275 per participant:
Includes two overnight room stays,
six meals, Catching Stories book,
all workshop materials/

The fee is payable after participants
are notified of their admission.  Fee
scholarships for Ohio residents  are
available based on need.

Take a trip back in time as you travel Ohio’s Route 33 from Lancaster to Athens. You’ll learn about the history that lines the road.

This route has been followed since the glaciers helped to create it. Take the tour and learn from geographers, historians, and local residents about the history.

To take the tour, go to http://backintimetour.org

The Ohio Humanities Council is seeking scholars who can portray historical characters for OHIO CHAUTAUQUA 2011.  Presentations will be costumed performances based on thorough academic research.  To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s beginning, OHIO CHAUTAUQUA 2011 will focus on The Civil War.  We welcome applications for characters that are appropriate to the theme.

An OHIO CHAUTAUQUA living history performance consists of a monologue (30-40 minutes) followed by question-and-answer sessions, both in and out of character.  During each of the five weeks as a scholar in residence, performers will present one evening performance under the tent, two daytime workshops (one for youths, one for adults), and will be available for meetings and appearances at social and publicity events.  Scholars will also submit an approximately 2,000 word essay, a timeline, and other written materials about the character.  Scholars will receive an honorarium, per diem, and travel and lodging expenses.  Applicants are responsible for developing their own scripts, costumes, and props.

All applications to portray an OHIO CHAUTAUQUA 2011 character must include:

•    Cover sheet with your contact information and the name of the character you wish to portray

•    Current vita/resume detailing acting and research experience, along with letters of reference

•    500-word essay detailing the importance of the character to the theme and a brief bibliography of sources of information on the character

•    20-minute videotape of you portraying the character and answering audience questions.

Submit applications to:
Ohio Humanities Council
471 E. Broad Street
Suite 1620
Columbus, Ohio 43215.

Questions?  Call Fran at 800-293-9774.
Application deadline is April 1, 2010.

THATcamp (The Humanities And Technology Camp) Columbus, a collaborative effort of the Ohio Humanities Council and the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University, is a user-generated “unconference” on digital humanities inspired by the Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University.    We’ve already received a lot of support from the Digital Humanities community, so we’re expecting this to be an exciting and entertaining event.  Please visit our website for more information and the link to our online application.  As our application deadline is approaching (11-26-09), make sure to apply soon if you’re interested.   If you want to know a little more, please read further.

Who should attend?

Anyone with energy and an interest in digital humanities.  That includes academics, librarians, archivists, cultural activists, curators, students, educators, and professionals in all fields where technology and the humanities collide.

Where and when will THATCamp be held?

The event will be held on Friday January 15th and Saturday, January 16th, 2010 at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio.  Click here for directions.  Also, we would like everyone to join us in saying thanks to Columbus State for their generous donation of free conference space!

What is an “unconference”?

According to Wikipedia, an unconference is “a conference where the content of the sessions is created and managed by the participants, generally day-by-day during the course of the event, rather than by one or more organizers in advance of the event.” An unconference is not a spectator event. Participants in an unconference are expected to present their work, share their knowledge, and actively collaborate with fellow participants rather than simply attend.

What should I propose?

That’s up to you. Sessions at THATCamp will range from software demos to training sessions to discussions of research findings to half-baked rants (but please no full-blown papers; we’re not here to read or be read to). You should come to THATCamp with something in mind, and on the first day find a time, a place, and people to share it with. Once you’re at THATCamp, you may also find people with similar topics and interests to team up with for a joint session.  You might want to check out the original THATcamp blog or some of the regional camps to get an idea of the scope of topics, but don’t feel limited by those examples.  If it falls under the topic of the humanities and technology, and impacts you, your organization, or the field of digital humanities (broadly defined) then it’s fair game.

Update!!!

We are excited to announce that we have already received several scholar applications.  We hope to have the directory up and running by next week.  We’ll keep you informed.  Thanks to all the scholars who have signed up so far, we hope to hear from many more of you!  Instructions for signing up are below:

Invitation to Participate:

The Ohio Humanities Council (OHC), funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization which promotes and supports public humanities programs.  OHC-supported projects, whether they are book discussions, speaker series, exhibits, or teachers institutes, require the expertise of humanities scholars as planning consultants, discussion leaders, presenters, and evaluators.  Grants awarded by the OHC to nonprofit organizations are used to pay honoraria and travel expenses for scholars participating in public humanities programs.

We are creating an online directory of humanities scholars residing in Ohio and invite you to include your name.  If you wish to be listed, you are identifying yourself as a humanities scholar who is interested in participating in public humanities programs.

How Scholars Participate in OHC Programs

Humanities scholars are involved in all aspects of OHC-funded projects:

Planners, Consultants, and Resource Persons may help write or edit such materials as brochures, exhibit copy, or curriculum guides; assist a group in conceptualizing and formulating an effective project; and identify the most appropriate humanities scholars for a program.

Discussion Leaders frequently moderate pre- or post-performance discussions at film, video, musical or theatrical presentations and facilitate a group’s understanding of readings in a book series.

Speakers and Presenters provide a variety of programs, including giving an interpretive gallery talk in a museum, leading a walking or bus tour, serving on a panel, or starring with a keynote address.

Program Evaluators attend presentations and prepare a report to the OHC commenting on the strength of the humanities content in a program, the quantity and quality of interaction between the audience and presenters, and the diversity of viewpoints provided.

Uses Made of the Directory of Scholars

The Directory will help link sponsoring organizations with the humanities scholars they need for their projects.  The Directory will exist as a database at OHC, though a portion of the information will be posted on OHC’s website, currently in the planning stages.

In response to specific inquiries, OHC will provide a list of scholars according to humanistic discipline or field of interest and, usually, geographic region of the state.  Prospective applicants will contact the scholars who are most appropriate for their program.  Occasionally, OHC may contact scholars for its own projects.

How to Sign Up

Complete the Scholar Directory Form and return it to OHC online, by mail or fax.  To the extent possible, utilize the list of discipline categories provided.  If no exactly appropriate category is provided, select the larger category that would include the more precise one.

If it is possible for either OHC staff or project sponsors to access your full curriculum vitae (or other more complete description of your fields of interest and professional contributions) on a personal home page or employer-provided web site, we encourage you to provide the address.

Those who have been listed in earlier editions of the OHC’s Directory of Scholars and wish to continue to be listed should send in this form so that we may update your entry.

OHC Online Scholar Directory Form

OHC Scholar Directory Mailing/Fax Form

OHC Presents in 2011

New Harmonies:

Celebrating American Roots Music

Starting in March, 2011, The Ohio Humanities Council will sponsor a 10-month tour of New Harmonies:  Celebrating American Roots Music, an exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street. This exhibition was developed especially for small institutions and rural audiences that typically do not have access to traveling exhibits.  OHC invites applications from historical societies and museums, libraries, or other institutions with the requisite resources for hosting New Harmonies.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

Listen to America’s music and hear the story of freedom. It’s the story of people in a New World, places they have left behind, and ideas they have brought with them. It is the story of people who were already here, but whose world is remade. The distinct cultural identities of all of these people are carried in song — both sacred and secular. Their music tracks the unique history of many peoples reshaping each other into one incredibly diverse and complex people — Americans. Their music is the roots of American music, whether we call it the blues, country & western, folk, or gospel.

EXHIBIT DESIGN

The structure for New Harmonies is freestanding, with  lightweight, modular sections, which require 800 square feet of space and 71/2 foot ceilings. The exhibit travels in easy-to-handle wheeled crates and requires no tools for assembly. The exhibition space must be clean and well lighted, but no specific environmental controls are needed. Only limited security is required, but personnel must be near the exhibit at all times it is open.

Host institutions and community partners will be expected to develop associated programs that expand on the themes presented in New Harmonies. Activities could include school design and essay contests, oral history projects, film and literary discussions, guest lectures, and artifact collection and interpretation for an exhibit on the importance of roots music such as blues, country and western, ethnic, folk, and gospel music in the host community. The Ohio Humanities Council partners with other institutions to create programs that will be available to most exhibit hosts.

EACH HOST INSTITUTION WILL RECEIVE:
•    Exhibit rental for approximately 4-6 weeks
•    An exhibition support manual detailing installation, public relations, and evaluation information
•    Promotional materials such as posters, brochures, banners, and a press kit
•    Workshops on program planning and exhibit installation
•    Consultation with OHC staff for project planning and implementation
•    Access to OHC’s mini-grant program
EACH HOST INSTITUTION WILL BE REQUIRED TO:
•    Pay a $1,000 cash fee to the Ohio Humanities Council to off set exhibit rental and shipping costs
•    Identify a staff member or volunteer who will attend all planning meetings and act as project director
•    Maintain and publicize regular exhibition hours (no less than 25 hours per week)
•    Conduct locally-based public programming during the exhibit’s stay

OHC will select host institutions based on factors such as geographic distribution, ability to provide public access to the exhibit, and interest in community programming. Luxurious facilities and previous experience with traveling exhibits or public humanities programming are NOT essential to a successful application. The application deadline is December 1, 2009. For more information , please contact Jack Shortlidge at   1-800-293-9774 or jacks@ohiohumanities.org.

Click Here to Download the Application Form

OHC recently completed the pilot for a reading and discussion program called “Literature and Medicine.” Between September of 2008 and March of this year, staff members at the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital at Case Western Reserve University met once a month to discuss short stories and poetry selected from Imagine What It’s Like, A Literature & Medicine Anthology, edited by Ruth Nadelhaft. The pilot program was facilitated by Georgina Dodge, Assistant Vice Provost for Minority Affairs at the Ohio State University. Liaisons at Rainbow Hospital who helped to plan the program and recruit co-workers to take part were Dr. Aparna Bole and Medical Librarian Vivian McCallum. The photo was taken during the last literature and medicine meeting at Rainbow Hospital on March 23, 2009.

This program was begun in Maine in 1997 and over that time it has taken place in 20 states and hundreds of health-care institutions Here is a brief overview of the program format and basic goals which are paraphrased from information provided by the Maine Humanities Council.

“Literature and Medicine” is a reading and discussion program for health-care employees, such as doctors, nurses, social workers, medical librarians and administrative staff people. It typically takes place in a health care setting where the discussants are working, such as a hospital. The discussions are facilitated by a humanities scholar who selects readings, such as short stories, poems, and essays, in consultation with a liaison at the health-care facility which is hosting the program. There are usually about 15-20 people in a group and everyone goes by first names, has an equal voice and agrees to follow basic ground rules (such as confidentiality).

For further information about the Literature and Medicine program in Ohio, please contact Jack Shortlidge, Program Officer at OHC: jacks@ohiohumanities.org or by phone at 1-800-293-9774.

To find the answers to these and other questions, click here for more information!

Gateway to History website will link teachers to the materials being created by numerous Ohio school district university partnerships under the Teaching American History program supported by the US Department of Education. Check out the site at www.gatewaytohistory.org