NCPH participates in a variety of advocacy efforts, as outlined in the NCPH Advocacy Committee of the Board Policy (last updated in 2023), to represent the interests of public history practitioners and promote historical understanding, which is of essential value in civil society. The NCPH Board of Directors speaks out on behalf of the membership by:

  • Developing partnerships and relationships with other organizations, professions and professionals, and communities;
  • Engaging our many publics in conversation about the relevance of history;
  • Being a strong advocate for the interests of public history practitioners in service to the public; and
  • Supporting history education with a public historical perspective at all levels.

If you would like the organization to consider weighing in on an issue, please email the board via [email protected].

NCPH’s recent efforts include:


NCH

National Coalition for History

NCPH is a proud member of the Policy Board of the National Coalition for History. NCH is a consortium of more than 50 organizations that advocates on federal legislative and regulatory issues affecting historians, archivists, researchers, teachers, students, preservationists, political scientists, museum professionals, genealogists, and other stakeholders. Priority issues include maximizing researcher access to government records and information, support for history education, and funding for agencies like the National Archives, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Park Service, and Institute of Museum and Library Services. NCH is also a driving force behind the Congressional History Caucus.

For more information, and to sign up for email alerts, visit historycoalition.org


History Relevance

NCPH actively supports the efforts of History Relevance, a grassroots group of public historians who are finding ways to argue the critical value of history in modern life.  You are welcome to join the group on LinkedIn by searching “History Relevance Campaign” and requesting admission.

History is how we preserve our past and inspire our future. That’s why we at the NCPH are proud to endorse the History Relevance Value Statement. The Value Statement is comprised of seven distinct tenets delineating critical ways the study of history is essential to individuals, communities, and our shared future. The full Value Statement can be found at https://www.historyrelevance.com/value-history-statement/


NATIONAL HUMANITIES ALLIANCE

NCPH is a member of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA), founded in 1981, the NHA is a non-profit organization to advance national humanities policy in the areas of research, education, preservation and public programs. NHA is supported by nearly one hundred national, state and local member organizations and institutions, including: scholarly and professional associations; higher education associations; organizations of museums, libraries, historical societies and state humanities councils; university-based and independent humanities research centers; and colleges and universities. One of the alliance’s highlights is Humanities Advocacy Day, an opportunity each March for the entire humanities community to convene, meet with their elected officials, and convey the importance of federal support for the humanities.


Envisioning the NPS’s Next 100 Years

 

The National Parks Conservation Association convened a National Parks Second Century Commission for the upcoming 100th anniversary of NPS in 2016. After soliciting input from a wide variety of stakeholders, the commission recommended “a sweeping expansion of the National Park ‘idea’.”