Our Impact in Maryland

From Garrett County to Worcester and everywhere in between, our programs are capturing the attention and imaginations of more and more Marylanders every year.

According to a national report, The Heart of the Matter: The Humanities and Social Sciences for a Vibrant, Competitive, and Secure Nation, the humanities serve as “a source of national memory and civic vigor, cultural understanding and communication, individual fulfillment and the ideals we hold in common.” With such potential for positive impact, Maryland Humanities joins the call for a renewed commitment to the humanities by refocusing our efforts on creating programs that involve, inform, and encourage Marylanders to pursue lifelong learning.

Thanks to the loyalty and generosity of our supporters, partners, and friends, Maryland Humanities is more active, more diverse, and our work more impactful than ever before. With an outstanding variety of humanities events all across the state plus an exciting new website and social media presence, there are endless opportunities to get involved.

By the Numbers

  • 37,952
    Maryland Humanities youth program participants
  • 725
    Maryland Humanities in-person events
  • 123
    towns in which Maryland Humanities programs were held
  • 221
    Maryland Humanities scholars
  • 190,862
    Maryland Humanities total audience
  • 296
    Maryland Humanities virtual events
  • 6,020
    Maryland Humanities volunteer hours
  • 81,479
    Maryland Humanities participants
  • 413
    Maryland Humanities Donors
  • 15,443
    followers of Maryland Humanities social media accounts
  • 15,142
    views of Maryland Humanities videos on YouTube
  • $171,811
    Value of Volunteer Hours
  • 873
    Maryland Humanities volunteers

Statewide Map

To what extent do Maryland Humanities programs touch the lives of state residents? To put it in context, let’s consider the numbers from 2020:

Partners: 364
Participants: 81,479
Audience: 190,862
Scholars: 221
Youth Participants: 37,952
Donors: 413
Volunteers: 873
Events: 1,021
Towns: 123

View Full Map

MDHumanities_ImpactMap

  • “The thing that had the most impact were the skills that I got from this project. I developed better hunting skills in terms of looking for reliable sources and I also learned to work hard and not procrastinate to achieve something great.”

    Maryland History Day student participant
  • “The impact of this particular book was probably stronger than any other Maryland One Book due to the connections we could make with real world events and police brutality in the headlines. Many groups were reading and discussing the book at our school: Student Equity Team, Drama Club, Faculty book club, sociology and English classes. It fostered important discussions about race relations.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher
  • It was more than just a research project, it was more personal than that.

    Standing Together: Veterans Oral History Project, student participant
  • “The Smithsonian connection gave us new credibility. We were able to track attendance and we’ve seen a continued rise in weekend activity. Based on increased attendance numbers, we’ve decided to keep the museum open year round. Using our guest book, our gung-ho membership chair was able to double the membership in the Friends organization. This enhanced our treasury by a substantial amount and identified many new volunteers.”

    ​Dorry Norris ~ Washington County Rural Heritage Museum, Boonesboro, MD Host Site, Museum on Main Street
  • “[One Maryland One Book] taught me how much we need to talk and listen to one another.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 participant
  • “This contest gives [students] a chance to practice [letter writing] while also expressing themselves about a work of literature or a particular author that has made an impact on them personally. As a teacher, I benefit from reading the letters because I always learn new things about each student.”

    ​Letters About Literature teacher
  • “MHD illustrated the applicability of the study of history to contemporary issues and current events. It was very motivating to converse with the students about their historical topic and observe how they applied it to current events and their own life circumstances.”

    ​Maryland History Day parent
  • “Being a part of the group provided me with a safe area to revisit my thoughts and feelings on my experience during the war.”

    Veterans Book Group participant
  • “A sophomore on our school’s state-champ runner-up varsity football team was so taken by Joe’s story of the sophomore year on the boat that he got his dad (the coach) and several members of his team to read the book even though they weren’t assigned it in class. Another student described a discussion she got into with her math teacher after school about the relevance of the English curriculum and used her experience with Brown’s work and the field trip to convince her teacher that humanities are just as important as STEM. Great stuff!”

    ​One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher
  • “For most of my 10th grade students, this was the first book they have read from cover to cover.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher
  • “[In Veterans Book Group,] I considered other perspectives both of other service members and others who did not serve.”

    Veterans Book Group participant
  • “The students are now far more prepared for the high level of scholarship and achievement that will be expected of them in future years. MHD also elevated many other skills too. These include public speaking, the use of technology, learning to collaborate.”

    ​Maryland History Day teacher
  • “Funding from the Maryland Humanities to distribute our first publication allowed Wide Angle Youth Media to expand our reach and share youth voice in a way we have never done before. With your support, this project has not only been successful in programmatic outcomes, but has inspired and empowered young people, giving them the platform to become published artists and share their voices in our city and beyond.”

    Wide Angle Youth Media, Humanities Fund for Baltimore grantee, Baltimore City
  • “[Lifelong learning] means that we are forever students, constantly discovering, researching, exploring, and challenging ourselves.”

    ​Maryland Humanities survey participant
  • “During a vascular conference a patient with an extensive medical history was being discussed. The surgeons were going over multiple surgical possibilities for the patient. I spoke up and suggested pallative care. They admitted it wasn’t a bad idea. Nothing they were discussing was going to provide any long term benefit. I am not sure I would have thought of pallitive care, let alone, speak up to a group of surgeons without having been in Literature in Medicine.”

    ​Literature & Medicine participant
Share your feedback