Minnesota Historical Society Earns National Awards

St. Paul, Minn. - The Minnesota Historical Society has earned two monetary awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to develop projects that support the mission of using the power of history to transform lives.

Play the Past

"Play the Past" is a powerful new location-based mobile gaming application launched in January of 2014 for use in the History Center's permanent exhibit "Then Now Wow." The NEH grant will help fund the integration of the application into additional History Center exhibits. As a result students will have significantly expanded access to humanities content, a deeper engagement with history, and improved critical thinking and collaboration skills.

"Play the Past" is an entirely new learning experience that allows students to transform from being observers to participants. The experience continues after the student leaves the exhibit, with the creation of a "digital backpack," a personal web account connected to the student’s game play.

Over Here

"Over Here" is an ambitious new traveling exhibit on America during the Great War years, 1917–1919. The NEH grant will help fund the planning of the exhibit, with an opening scheduled for early 2017 to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of America’s entry into World War I in April 1917. A web site, and public and educational programs will be offered in conjunction with the exhibit.

The 5,000 square foot exhibit is being developed in partnership with the National Constitution Center, the National World War I Museum and the Oakland Museum of California.

The NEH awarded $22.8 million in grants for 232 humanities projects at institutions and independent scholars in 39 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. A complete state-by-state listing of grants is available (41-page PDF).

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, the Society preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.