“The audience was so enthralled they were glued to the chairs for two and a half hours, not wanting a break. This is the finest tribute an audience can give,” says Jean Anne Cooper, Chairman of the Heritage Lectures at the Blue Ridge Arts Council in Seneca, regarding Will Goins’ program “Native Americans: Dancers, Singers, and Flautists.” Dr. Goins is a part of Speakers Bureau: Humanities Out Loud.
“Gayla Jamison is a true professional and so is her crew,” says Dr. Susan Millar Williams of progress made on the ETV documentary film Miss Julia, which chronicles the life of South Carolina author Julia Peterkin.
“I was impressed with how the completed History Day projects helped to bring the humanities to life for my students. The enthusiasm they had for the projects was evident,” says Bud Cone, a teacher who participated in National History Day in South Carolina, which is financially supported by SC Humanities.
“’Monumental’ is much too small a word for this spectacular—and spectacularly well-done—compendium of South Carolina people, places, and past history,” says author John Jakes of The South Carolina Encyclopedia.
“Now I can tell my children, and my children’s children about my great experience,” claims a 5th grade student at Finely Road Elementary in Rock Hill School District in response to a program on Brazil.
Dr. W. Earl Walker says of SC Humanities’s grant to the redesign of the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum in Mt. Pleasant: “An outstanding contribution to the public humanities!”
“Elaine Nichols has a wonderful balance of enthusiasm and poise that draws you into the story she is telling. Her interaction with the audience was wonderful also!” says Michael Swan, Director of the Aiken County Public Library. Elaine Nichols was a longtime member of Speakers Bureau: Humanities Out Loud before she moved to Washington, DC.
“I’m grateful that you and SC Humanities are among those who push me to be a better teacher and scholar in the humanities,” says Dr. John Zubizarreta, a professor at Columbia College who was named 2010 U.S. Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, to Executive Director Dr. Randy Akers.
“I recently attended the Japanese Lecture Series at the Franklin Burroughs Art Museum in Myrtle Beach, for which I understand you provided funding. The program was fabulous in every aspect. […] The lectures were interesting, entertaining, and informative. I am new to the Myrtle Beach area, and this has given me a great opportunity to learn about the museum. […] Thank you again for funding a very worthwhile project,” says Shirley Scholfield in an email to the Council. Ms. Scholfield participated in the “Beauty and Culture of Japan Lecture Seires” in July – August 2012 at the Franklin G. Burroughs – Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach. SC Humanities supported that program with a Major Grant.
“On behalf of the Slater Hall Citizens Committee and the Travelers Rest Historical Society, we thank you for allowing us to jointly host the traveling Smithsonian Exhibit, Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America. There were many positive outcomes in our communities as a result of our working together…We were able to unite two communities which had held animosity for each other for over forty years after one high school was absorbed into another one.” ~ Dot Bishop and Karen Cleveland
“Through the 2016 SC Humanities Festival in Beaufort, people and groups gently stepped out from their silos and worked together to make our hometown an even better place… Historical and cultural organizations and artists of all kinds, from north and south of the Broad River, came together to present the SC Humanities Festival in Beaufort County. The theme was: ‘Inspire, Enrich and Engage.’ We all came together seamlessly to give something very special!” says Mayor of Beaufort Billy Keyserling about the 2016 SC Humanities Festival.
“The high school students, who all began the workshop saying that they did not consider themselves storytellers and thought of storytelling as for young children, engaged with [workshop leader] Singh Sirah immediately and crafted incredible stories of their own in a single afternoon,” says Kimberly Bowlin, Special Events Director at Charleston County Public Library, about the “Storytelling as Peacebuilding” programming that took place in 2016.
“An inspirational program…”
“Engaging and interesting…”
“Extremely well done!”
“Wonderful give and take with the speakers and facilitator. Good questions…thoughtful answers.”
These are just a few of the remarks about the “From the Jazz Age to the Digital Age: Pulitzer Winners in South Carolina” programming produced by SC Humanities in collaboration with SCETV and the USC College of Information and Communications.
“Thank you to South Carolina Humanities for their grant support of the Pat Conroy Literary Center’s 10-week Women of Carolina book discussion series, our upcoming Talking to Disaster poetry workshop, our 2017 planning retreat, and both the 2015 Pat Conroy at 70 Festival and the 2016 Pat Conroy Literary Festival. SC Humanities’ outstanding and consistent commitment to advancing the literary life of the Palmetto State is an extraordinary gift to readers and writers, and we’re fortunate to have these opportunities for partnership.” says Jonathan Haupt, Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center
“For my own family, National History Day has made such a difference in our lives. My children have interviewed amazing people. They are learning history first hand from the people who lived it. My son has interviewed a Cousteau diver, a woman who was at the Soweto Children’s Uprising in South Africa, a Jewish woman saved by Oscar Schindler, and a March of Dimes poster child from the 1950s. My daughter interviewed Walt Disney’s personal secretary, the last living scientist who worked on the Salk vaccine, and the director of dance for the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. These experiences have been awesome. There is no way to explain how important National History Day is for students,” says Laura Cripe, a teacher who uses National History Day in the classroom and a parent of National History Day participants
