New London Hempsted Houses to Receive Major Connecticut Humanities Grant

MIDDLETOWN, CT- The Joshua and Nathaniel Hempsted Houses in New London were announced among ten nonprofit organizations that will share more than $175,500 in grant money from Connecticut Humanities to support humanities-based programming across the state.

Connecticut Humanities distributes money, allocated by the Connecticut General Assembly, through a competitive, merit-based application process. In southeastern Connecticut, Major Grants will support staff training programs designed to improve visitor experiences at Mystic Seaport and the Houses in New London.

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A $30,000 grant will be used to transform the visitor experience beyond the guided tour, from observation to self-discovery, at the Joshua and Nathaniel Hempsted Houses.

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience will lead CTL staff in “Dialogue Training to Increase Visitor Engagement." The training prepares and encourages staff to use dialogue rather than the guided tour as the primary means to interact with visitors.

Connecticut Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, funds, creates and collaborates on hundreds of cultural programs across Connecticut each year. It administers a competitive grant pool made possible by the Connecticut General Assembly.