Leap into the school year with programs and activities that make your students think, read and talk

Educators can take advantage of a ton of Indiana Humanities programs this school year. Our Novel Conversations program offers book sets and grants to help you build out your curriculum, while our new Quantum Leap opportunities are perfect for exploring the connections between STEM and humanities.

Inspire the next generation of Hoosier innovators by ordering one of our free Hoosier Ingenuity posters that share Indiana’s proud legacy of inventors. Great for displaying in your classroom or using as a visual aid for your lesson plans. Request yours here! 

Listen to stories of scientific discovery, creation and innovation in Indiana with our Sound Bites podcast. This series of 16 stories of Hoosier ingenuity features five-minute episodes of surprising stories of Hoosier innovation, past and present. Each episode is a perfect springboard for writing prompts and discussions that tie STEM, language arts and social studies together. Start listening here. 

Join us in bringing Frankenstein to life for the 200^th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece in 2018. 

• Frankenfest: We’re kicking off our year of year of Frankenstein with an all-day festival and read-a-thon at the Indiana Medical History Museum on Sept. 30. There will be talks, pop-up exhibits, themed snacks and games and more. Learn more about the event—including how to be a reader—here. 
• Community Reads: We’re providing book sets, mini-grants of $1,000 and one-of-a-kind swag to schools, libraries and other organizations who participate in our statewide read. Applications open in early September. Learn more here. 
• Digital Gaming Workshop: This one-day workshop on Feb. 9 will teach you how to design and build a digital game, taking Frankenstein as inspiration. CEU and LEU credit are available. Sign up here to get your game on. 
• Weekend Retreat: Frankenstein: Gather with other bibliophiles at our first ever Weekend Retreat next March. Starting on Friday evening, you’ll hear from great speakers, enjoy live performances and eat an unforgettable meal inspired by the novel. CEU and LEU credit are available; a discount rate for teachers is available as well. Save the date: Friday, March 23-Saturday, March 24.

Expand your curriculum and get talking by borrowing books from Novel Conversations, our free statewide lending library program. Our book sets are perfect for classroom assignments, book club meetings and more. It’s easy to sign up and start requesting books. Find your group’s next favorite novel here.

Host an Indiana author through our Novel Conversations Speakers Program. You can apply for funds to cover speaking fees for one of our thoughtfully selected speakers. Our application for the 2017-2018 program will open later this month. Read more about the program and the application process here. 

We’ve picked 10 of our favorite books about girls and women in STEM for our Shelfie Challenge. Indiana middle schoolers who read at least five by the end of 2018 qualify for an Amazon gift card—and they can share their progress with us on Instagram and Snapchat, using our special Quantum Leap Snapchat filter!

And, here’s one final resource featuring one of our board members: Engage students with Indiana author Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian science-fiction short story “Harrison Bergeron” by pairing it with a new short film adaptation titled “2081.” Visit the Teaching 2081 website to explore short videos (featuring board member Sarah Skwire) and lesson plans to help bring the story and the short film to your classroom.