Opportunity Information: Apply for 20160114 AH
Apply for 20160114 AH
- The NEH in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement to Implement the National Spoken Word Poetry Ambassadors Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.162.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 17, 2015 and posted on Dec 17, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 14, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), working with the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), is offering a cooperative agreement to find an organizational partner that can launch and manage a new national initiative called the National Spoken Word Poetry Ambassadors Program. The central purpose is to expand opportunities for American youth to engage with spoken word poetry, not only as an art form to perform and enjoy, but also as a way to think through big public questions. The program is designed to support NEH's Common Good initiative, which encourages the humanities as a tool for civic reflection and national conversation around enduring themes like justice, citizenship, war, human relationships, the natural world, and what it means to live a good life.
Under this opportunity, the selected awardee organization would be responsible for directing the program and supporting a cohort of student spoken word poets in grades 10 and 11. These students will serve as "poetry ambassadors" for one year and will be chosen so that there is one ambassador from each of five geographic regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. In practice, this means the program is national in scope but deliberately rooted in regional participation and outreach, with each ambassador expected to bring spoken word poetry experiences to youth and community audiences within their region.
A defining feature of the program is that it does not treat spoken word only as performance. It intentionally connects young poets with humanities scholars and educators who can help situate the students' work in wider literary, artistic, and historical contexts. The goal is to pair creative practice with humanities learning: audiences are meant to experience new poetry while also being invited into discussion about poetic craft, traditions, history, and the ways poetry intersects with other art forms and cultural conversations. One example offered in the announcement is a performance paired with a museum curator's talk exploring connections between poetry and painting, showing that events can be interdisciplinary and hosted in a range of cultural or educational settings.
The ambassadors are expected to participate in at least three ambassadorial events in their region during their one-year term, and those events should be framed around a significant humanistic topic. These are not meant to be generic readings; they are intended as public-facing occasions for reflection and dialogue, where young people can encounter spoken word poetry and then engage more deeply through guided discussion, reading, and contextual learning with educators, writers, or scholars.
This new Spoken Word Poetry Ambassadors Program is described as running in parallel with, and strengthening, the existing National Student Poets Program (NSPP). The NSPP, created in 2012 through a partnership among PCAH, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, selects five student poets each year (also in grades 10 and 11) to serve as literary ambassadors representing the same five regions. NSPP has been positioned as a top national recognition for young poets presenting original work, with an emphasis on elevating their voices, placing them in conversation with established poets, and encouraging broader youth engagement in writing and the arts as part of academic and personal development. The new NEH/PCAH spoken word effort builds on that model but focuses specifically on spoken word poets and on structured regional events that tie performance to humanities themes and public questions.
From a grantmaking standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by NEH (Funding Opportunity Number 20160114-AH) and made as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that NEH expects to have substantial involvement or collaboration with the awardee during the project rather than providing a hands-off subaward. The activity category is Humanities (listed under Cultural Affairs in CFDA), with CFDA number 45.162. The maximum award amount listed is $80,000. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not higher education institutions when applying under the nonprofit category). The opportunity was posted on December 17, 2015, created the same day, and had a closing date of January 14, 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity about?
This opportunity is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) cooperative agreement to select an organizational partner to launch and manage a new national initiative called the National Spoken Word Poetry Ambassadors Program. The program is intended to expand opportunities for American youth to engage with spoken word poetry as both an art form and a way to think through major public questions.
Which agencies are involved in this program?
The program is offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), working with the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH).
What is the name of the initiative to be launched and managed?
The initiative is called the National Spoken Word Poetry Ambassadors Program.
What is the central purpose of the National Spoken Word Poetry Ambassadors Program?
The central purpose is to expand opportunities for American youth to engage with spoken word poetry not only as performance and enjoyment, but also as a means of civic reflection and engagement with big public questions.
How does this program connect to NEH priorities?
The program is designed to support NEH's Common Good initiative, which promotes the humanities as a tool for civic reflection and national conversation around enduring themes such as justice, citizenship, war, human relationships, the natural world, and what it means to live a good life.
What kind of award is being offered?
The award is made as a cooperative agreement. This typically indicates NEH expects substantial involvement or collaboration with the awardee during the project, rather than a more hands-off relationship.
What would the selected organization be responsible for?
The selected awardee organization would be responsible for directing the program and supporting a cohort of student spoken word poets who will serve as "poetry ambassadors" for one year.
Who are the poetry ambassadors?
The poetry ambassadors are student spoken word poets in grades 10 and 11 who are selected to serve for one year as ambassadors, bringing spoken word poetry experiences to youth and community audiences.
How many student ambassadors are supported, and how are they chosen geographically?
The program supports a cohort that includes one student ambassador from each of five geographic regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West, for a total of five ambassadors.
Is the program national or regional?
The program is national in scope, but it is deliberately rooted in regional participation and outreach. Each ambassador is expected to carry out activities within their assigned region.
How long does an ambassador serve?
Each ambassador serves a one-year term.
What are ambassadors expected to do during their term?
Ambassadors are expected to participate in at least three ambassadorial events in their region during their one-year term. These events are intended to be public-facing occasions for reflection and dialogue, not generic readings.
How many events are required for each ambassador?
Each ambassador is expected to participate in at least three ambassadorial events within their region during the one-year term.
What should the ambassadorial events focus on?
Events should be framed around a significant humanistic topic and designed to encourage reflection and dialogue. The intent is for audiences to engage with spoken word poetry and then go deeper through discussion, reading, and contextual learning.
Are the events meant to be simple poetry readings?
No. The events are not intended to be generic readings. They are intended as structured, public-facing occasions for civic reflection and conversation linked to humanities themes and public questions.
How does the program incorporate the humanities beyond performance?
A defining feature is that it does not treat spoken word only as performance. It connects young poets with humanities scholars and educators who help situate the students' work within wider literary, artistic, and historical contexts, pairing creative practice with humanities learning.
Who might be involved alongside the student poets at events?
Events are meant to involve educators, writers, or scholars who can guide discussion and provide context about poetic craft, traditions, history, and how poetry intersects with other art forms and cultural conversations.
Can events be interdisciplinary or hosted in different kinds of venues?
Yes. The opportunity description includes an example of pairing a poetry performance with a museum curator's talk on connections between poetry and painting, indicating events can be interdisciplinary and hosted in a range of cultural or educational settings.
How does this initiative relate to the National Student Poets Program (NSPP)?
The National Spoken Word Poetry Ambassadors Program is described as running in parallel with, and strengthening, the existing National Student Poets Program (NSPP). It builds on a similar regional model but focuses specifically on spoken word poets and structured regional events tied to humanities themes and public questions.
What is the National Student Poets Program (NSPP)?
The NSPP was created in 2012 through a partnership among PCAH, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. It selects five student poets each year (grades 10 and 11) to serve as literary ambassadors representing the same five regions.
What is the maximum award amount for this opportunity?
The maximum award amount listed is $80,000.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 20160114-AH.
What is the CFDA number and program area?
The CFDA number listed is 45.162. The activity category is Humanities (listed under Cultural Affairs in CFDA).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not higher education institutions when applying under the nonprofit category).
Are nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status eligible?
Yes. Nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status are listed as eligible, with the caveat that a higher education institution should apply under the appropriate higher education category rather than under the nonprofit category.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on December 17, 2015 (and created the same day). The closing date was January 14, 2016.
What is the intended audience for the program's activities?
The program aims to reach American youth by creating opportunities to encounter spoken word poetry and participate in deeper engagement through guided discussion and humanities-based context. Events are also described as reaching community audiences within each region.
What types of themes might the program encourage events to explore?
The program aligns with NEH's Common Good themes, including justice, citizenship, war, human relationships, the natural world, and what it means to live a good life.
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