National Humanities Alliance Community Impact Initiative

The Willson Center is a participating member of the National Humanities Alliance and a national model for fostering successful humanities communities as part of a new initiative by the National Humanities Alliance Foundation, the supporting foundation of the NHA.

The Humanities Working Groups for Community Impact Initiative is a national project supported by the Whiting Foundation that “aims to strengthen and expand support for the humanities by showcasing the impact that humanities organizations achieve at the local level,” according to the NHAF.

The NHAF facilitates the organization of a working group in a selected community in each state to develop agendas and work with participating local organizations and individuals. These groups will coordinate on a national level to identify and disseminate best practices “for the cultivation of resilient and energized humanities communities.” The Willson Center – together with Georgia Humanities, the statewide affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities – will lead the working group for the state of Georgia, the first launched under the initiative.

“We are deeply impressed by how the Willson Center has drawn UGA faculty and students together with local community members in order to advance world-class humanities research while simultaneously enriching community life in and around Athens,” said Dr. Stephen Kidd, executive director of the NHA and the NHAF. “Successes like these point the way toward stronger humanities communities nationwide, and we are delighted that the Willson Center and Georgia Humanities are leading the working group that will explore the further expansion of such work in the state of Georgia. It is difficult to imagine a better launching pad for our national initiative, and we are grateful for the collaboration of such exemplary partners.”

The National Humanities Alliance and its foundation are based in Washington, D.C. and work to advance and strengthen humanities education, research, preservation, and public programs at the national, state, and local levels.

NHA