(September 17, 2025) CHARLOTTE, N.C. – North Carolina Humanities is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual Large Project Grants. This year, NC Humanities awarded a total of $39,991 to two public humanities projects that will uplift and uncover stories, cultures, and histories of North Carolinians both past and present.
The recipients received support for projects exploring the occupational folklife of firefighters in Greensboro and how communities can use storytelling to build connection. Each of the awarded projects reflects a commitment to community engagement, cultural preservation, dialogue, and education.
North Carolina Folklife Institute for the project “Firehouse Stories: Telling the Humanities of Greensboro’s Firefighters – A Centennial Project”
Project Description: In 2026, the Greensboro Fire Department (GFD) will commemorate its 100th anniversary as a fully professional department. To mark this milestone, a year-long Centennial Celebration will weave together remembrance, celebration, and humanities-driven inquiry to honor the department’s legacy and explore the lived experiences of Greensboro’s firefighters. Grant funding supports several public-facing humanities programs that deepen public understanding of firefighting as a vital public service and culture-rich profession.
Through collaborative ethnographic fieldwork led by folklorist and North Carolina Folklife Institute (NCFI) Executive Director Amy Grossmann, this project documents and interprets the day-to-day lives, perspectives, and histories of Greensboro firefighters. NC Humanities support will enable three key humanities-based programs: a public exhibition at the historic Central Fire Station combining archival photographs with oral history interpretation; a series of moderated panel discussions at the NC Folk Festival inviting firefighters to publicly reflect on themes like camaraderie, mentorship, family life, and identity; and the creation of a documentary film that brings to light underrepresented stories through co-interpretation with firefighters themselves.
Elon University for “Storying Home: Cultivating Cross-Cultural Connections through Storytelling”
Project Description: Situated between the Triad and Research Triangle, Alamance County is a rapidly growing region which many groups call home. The project seeks to foster cross-cultural and intergenerational understanding, collaboration, and community pride between newcomers and long-time residents.
This project will allow students and community partners to find common ground by exploring differences and similarities in our personal histories and stories. Students will partner with a range of community organizations to engage in cross-cultural dialogues and other educational activities with residents-both long-standing and recently arrived. Through oral history interviewing, storytelling, and community dialogue, participants will examine histories of migration, displacement, and enslavement, alongside narratives of resilience, belonging, and solidarity.
NC Humanities provides Large Project Grants of up to $20,000 to nonprofit organizations that use the humanities (literature, history, philosophy, etc.) to raise questions, encourage conversation, contextualize experiences, and connect people across differences in their local communities.
About North Carolina Humanities: Through public humanities programs and grantmaking, North Carolina Humanities connects North Carolinians with cultural experiences that spur dialogue, deepen human connections, and inspire community. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. To learn more, visit www.nchumanities.org.