HONESDALE, PA — The Cooperage Project is among the 24 recipients of a Wingspan grant. The PA Humanities initiative is part of its ongoing 50th anniversary celebration. 

The grant aims to provide financial support and amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and rural organizations committed to community-based humanities work.

It will also “cultivat[e] new space for creativity and connection,” a news release stated. 

“This is another important step towards bringing greater equity to the humanities in Pennsylvania and helping these organizations to really spread their wings,” said PA Humanities executive director Laurie Zierer. 

As a Wingspan recipient, the Cooperage Project is set to receive $100,000 over the next two years, which will be instrumental in building its capacity to meet community needs.

This could include performance-based programs and the community conversations series, which fostered dialogue on human-centered topics, the Cooperage said. 

The goal is to help all embrace diversity and “celebrate shared experiences in order to create a deeper sense of community,” the organization said. 

“Sense of place is important to any community, and applying humanities methods to our work at the Cooperage Project helps us celebrate our community’s shared local heritage and pride, and invites neighbors to contribute in unique and personal ways,” said Arrah Fisher, executive director of the Cooperage Project. 

Funding for Wingspan is made possible with support from Spring Point Partners and additional funding from PA Humanities, individual donors and the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

For more information about The Cooperage Project, visit www.thecooperageproject.org.