High-School Humanities Grants
High-School Humanities
Whiting's support at the high-school level fosters deep engagement with rich works of history, philosophy, literature, and the arts so students graduate equipped with the beginnings of a mental map of human history and cultural achievement across time and geography – and with the informed curiosity to continue to expand that map over the course of a lifetime. Such a wide, sustained relationship with the humanities guides us all to better appreciate and understand the world, the people in it, and ourselves.
Please note that applications for this program are by invitation only.
Our grants in this area support the development and dissemination of robust curricular materials grounded in primary sources; professional development that recognizes and engages teachers as intellectuals; and extracurricular experiences for students that provide meaningful exposure to humanities fields and subjects beyond those most commonly covered in history and English classes. Explore some of our high-school humanities grants below.
The Academy for Teachers
Master Classes
Ongoing
The Academy for Teachers was founded in 2011 to honor and support teachers as intellectual professionals. Their Master Classes are intimate day-long programs bringing teachers together with a world-class expert for an intensive seminar followed by a workshop to devise ways to adapt what they have learned to their own classrooms. The goal is to enhance educators’ teaching, refresh their curiosity and excitement for the humanities, and help address the pressing challenge of retaining teachers.
Institute of Classical Architecture & Art
New Heights and Grand Tour
Ongoing
The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA)'s New Heights and Grand Tour programs use local examples of classical architecture as the backdrop for coursework in architectural history. The format is interactive, combining drawing exercises, walking tours, and discussions that prompt students to think critically about their built environments. Building on the success of the programs, the ICAA is expanding the model more widely through their chapters across the country.
NYPL Center for Educators and Schools
Educator Residency
Ongoing
The Educator Summer Residency program at the New York Public Library (NYPL)'s Center for Educators and Schools is a one-week intensive program that connects teachers with key resources to strengthen and support more creative, engaging, and intellectually curious classrooms. Participants conduct research and develop new humanities-bassed curricula drawing curated talks with experts and behind-the-scenes access to the Library’s unparalleled collections of more than 56 million items.
New-York Historical Society
Women and the American Story (WAMS) Ambassadors
Ongoing
Launched in 2017, the New-York Historical Society's Women and the American Story (WAMS) curriculum is the first comprehensive online women’s history resource to empower teachers at all grade levels. Each unit includes an introductory essay; primary sources; and historical context. The Teacher Ambassador program uses a train-the-trainer model: educators are coached on best practices for teacher training and women’s history education and then lead local trainings in using WAMS.
The Paideia Institute
Living Latin and Living Greek
Ongoing
The Paideia Institute's portfolio of self-paced digital curricula offer a complement of grammar videos, online lessons, and supplementary exercises to allow any student with an internet connection to learn classical languages. The curricula aim to transform the way these languages are taught in both institutional and independent learning environments – and to help bridge the gap created by the shrinking footprint of Latin and Greek instruction in the US.
PLATO
Philosophers in Residence in High Schools
Ongoing
PLATO (Philosophy Teaching and Learning Organization)'s Philosophers-in-Residence program embeds trained philosophy educators at schools across the US, where they infuse philosophy into the student experience by leading regular sessions in classrooms across subjects, running professional learning community workshops for teachers, helping design new lesson plans, developing extracurricular activities for students from multiple schools, and leading parent programs.
Theatre for a New Audience
World Theatre Project
Ongoing
Instituted in 1984, the World Theatre Project is a 13-week in-school residency program that combines the experience of seeing a live theatrical performance at the Theatre for a New Audience with in-depth classroom work for students and professional development for teachers. Through writing exercises and dramatic activities, students interpret the story in their own voices, inspired by the professional production, and bring their work to fruition through the creation of an original performance.
Words Without Borders
WWB Campus
Ongoing
Drawing from Words Without Borders (WWB)’s rich archive of stories, essays, and poems in translation, WWB Campus connects students and educators to eye-opening contemporary literature from across the globe. The work is presented alongside multimedia contextual materials, ideas for lessons, and pathways for further exploration in order to create a virtual learning space without borders, fostering meaningful cross-cultural understandings and inspiring a lifelong interest in international literature.