The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) has awarded $6,000 to each of the nine organizational participants in the 2026 cohort of its Community History Program to jumpstart local history projects throughout the state, including Montclair-based Friends of the James Howe House.

Designed to build public humanities capacity across the Garden State, NJCH’s Community History Program provides grassroots organizations, public entities, historical societies, and community groups with no-cost guided professional development, collaborative cohort learning, and direct financial support to preserve and interpret local stories.

Following the completion of the program’s expert-led training series, each participating organization developed a proposed history project tailored to its local area and applied for startup funding from the program.

For its project, Friends of the Howe House will uncover, interpret, and share the stories of women connected to the historic James Howe House—from its origins as an 18th-century home of a formerly enslaved family to modern preservation efforts—through research, oral history, community dialogue, and collaborative public art.

“History is not found only in textbooks or major institutions. Its most resonant truths often live within the memories, artifacts, and lived experiences of local communities,” said Gigi Naglak, NJCH director of programs. “When communities are empowered to document and preserve their own history, they can help ensure that underrepresented voices, struggles, and triumphs are recognized as essential parts of our shared story.”

Other organizations that completed the program and received funding include Four Oranges (West Orange), Interfaith Neighbors (Asbury Park), Nassau Presbyterian Church (Princeton), Prallsville Mills / Delaware River Mill Society (Stockton), Ringwood Public Library, Say More Poetic Society (Irvington), The New Weis Center for Education, Arts and Recreation (Ringwood), and Vivekananda Vidyapith, Inc. (Wayne).

Applications are currently open for organizations interested in joining the 2027 Community History Program cohort. An online information session for prospective applicants will take place on October 14. The application deadline is December 3, 2026.

To learn more about eligibility, register for the information session, or submit an application, please visit: njhumanities.org/programs/community-history.