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LEH Statement on the Coronavirus

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) partners with communities, individuals, and organizations across the state to provide access to humanities-based educational programs and opportunities to Louisiana residents. As a direct provider and/or funder of public programs in all sixty-four Louisiana parishes, the LEH is carefully monitoring the developing progress of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the guidance of local, state, and federal authorities. The health and safety of our partners and community members is paramount.

As the coronavirus’s impact expands, we encourage program partners and grantees to keep public health at the forefront of their planning efforts and communicate any scheduling changes or programming concerns directly to their grant or program managers. Currently all LEH public programs are cancelled through May. Should the current public health situation necessitate additional changes to LEH-scheduled programs, those changes will be communicated via leh.org and LEH’s social media channels.

LEH COVID-19 Impacts Survey for Cultural Organizations

At the end of March, as part of the $2.2 trillion federal CARES Act, the National Endowment for the Humanities was awarded $75 million in emergency supplemental funds, of which $30 million will be distributed to state and territorial humanities councils across America. In the coming weeks the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) will receive funds to support an emergency regrant program for Louisiana’s cultural organizations. These organizations are at the very heart of our cultural economy.

In anticipation of receiving emergency grant funds and in recognition of the immediate needs many of of our humanities partners are facing, the LEH has developed an impact survey that will be used to help guide our understanding of the financial and human impacts the COVID-19 crisis has had on Louisiana-based cultural organizations. By collecting data now, we will be better positioned to act quickly to establish an emergency regrants program once funds are disbursed.

The survey collects basic information about participating organizations so that the data can be parsed by specific geographic regions, cultural disciplines, and budget categories. If your organization has been impacted by the current public health crisis, please complete this confidential survey by Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

Programming Contacts

PRIME TIME Program Managers

James Brown
Lacey Cunningham
Christina Lott

Public Programs Grants Manager

Chris Robert

Useful Links on the Coronavirus and Related Public Health Guidelines

Louisiana Department of Public Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC Guidance on Steps to Reduce Illness

Programming Changes

PRIME TIME

All spring PRIME TIME programs have been cancelled. For updates to our PRIME TIME program schedules across the state, visit PRIME TIME Family and PRIME TIME Preschool.

Rebirth Grant Workshops

For questions regarding upcoming grants webinars, email grants manager Chris Robert.

Rebirth Programs

All Rebirth programs have been cancelled through May 2020.

Poet Laureate Programs

All in-person Poet Laureate programs have been cancelled through April 2020.