NPF Invests $4.6 Million to Tell a More Complete American Story

2024 Grantees

Acadia National Park will partner with Wabanaki Youth in Science (WaYS) and Wabanaki Tribal cultural knowledge experts to develop a cooperative content-building process and create a suite of interpretive products.

Alaska Regional Office – National Park Service will lead a collaborative effort to broaden the introduction to Denali National Park to reflect Indigenous peoples’ presence in Denali and the landscape as well as Indigenous knowledge and cultural connection to the land.

Amache Alliance will engage the Amache community to design an interpretive exhibit at Amache National Historic Site that encourages guests to learn about the WWII Japanese American incarceration experience through the words, stories, and reflections of survivors, descendants, and the broader Amache community.

Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. will develop programming at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site and the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum that examines three key figures who are important to the transformation of Washington, D.C. from a rural area into a burgeoning metropolis: President Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Ulysses S. Grant.

Badlands National Park Conservancy will lead a collaboration between park officials, Indigenous leaders and elders, and cultural experts to research and share a more inclusive interpretive narrative of Badlands National Park that highlights the rich heritage of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Lakota and Dakota Tribes of South Dakota that have long been underrepresented in the park.

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area will build two performances stages for storytelling and music at the Blue Heron Interpretive Center within the park and work with park partners, historians, local community members, and regional Tribes to identify topics and styles of the stories and music.

Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Roger Williams National Memorial will conduct historical research into the contributions of one of the earliest and most prominent Jewish families in Providence, R.I. and share that knowledge using contemporary storytelling methods, educational materials, and a traveling exhibit.

Boston African American National Historic Site will create a position for a full-time Digital History Intern in the National Parks of Boston — which includes Boston National Historical Park, Boston African American National Historic Site, and Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park — and recruit a local undergraduate or graduate student who will be responsible for researching stories that link site significances with issues of contemporary interest and integrating findings into digital engagement experiences and outreach programs.

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site will collaborate with the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and National Park System parks within the corridor to create a virtual exhibit to interpret the Gullah Geechee culture.

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park will begin a multi-phase project to ensure that up-to-date research and contemporary interpretive best practices are quickly incorporated into on-site programming.

Colorado National Monument will work with the Ute Indian Tribe and leverage information and resources from Colorado National Monument Association and historians at Colorado Mesa University to develop new interpretive products – including educational programming, web content, and interpretive multimedia – that promote long-term healing and include the history of Indigenous Tribes who call these canyons home.

Death Valley National Park will conduct research and consult Tribes to publish a series of articles and webpages on the National Park Service website and app that center around Indigenous knowledge and management of natural resources, Timbisha Shoshone Tribe contributions to major historical structures in the park such as Scotty’s Castle, and the historically fraught relationship between the Timbisha Shoshone and National Park Service.

Densho will partner with the Minidoka National Historic Site to launch a collaborative, educational curriculum for Japanese American Confinement Site interpretation staff that will enhance their skills, bolster their historic understanding, and highlight varied perspectives within the Japanese American community.

Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument will hire a child psychologist to consult on and develop appropriate interpretive materials to help visitors, especially children, understand the story of Emmett Till in a way that helps them process his story and channel their awareness into positive connection and inspirational motivation to pursue equity and justice for all.

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor will examine gaps in interpretive content and identify potential partners for research as the park approaches its bicentennial in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.

Ford's Theater Society will host a series of free, public events showcasing conversations with playwrights; workshops and public readings for several new theatrical pieces; post-show discussions; and panel discussions with scholars and historians to discuss the history and stories explored by each play. They will also introduce a new workshop series where writers of all levels from the community will be invited to come together to explore the elements of playwriting.

Fort Union National Monument will partner with the Indian Education Department of Albuquerque Public Schools, the Santa Fe Indian School, and the Dineh’-Tah Navajo Dancers to create performing arts programs – including dances, story-telling and other Indigenous-based performances – that will be presented by Tribal members at the park.

Friends of Charleston National Parks will work with the National Park Service’s Harpers Ferry Center for Media Services to replace outdated signage at Fort Moultrie National Historical Park to better reflect up-to-date research and tell a more engaging and inclusive history of the park.

Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens will expand operating hours at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens and bolster their "Come Alive after Five" initiative, which aims to increase park visitation and ultimately create a sense of connectedness and belonging for local residents.

George Washington Memorial Parkway will update exhibits at Arlington House to better reflect the experiences and lives of the formerly enslaved people on the plantation site and install a new exhibit that delves into the history of a formerly segregated restroom facility on the site.

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy will continue its efforts to create a permanent exhibit that will tell the story of the American Indian occupations at Alcatraz Island and their significance to the present day.

Grand Canyon Conservancy will employ Ancestral Lands Service Corps crews to transform the Desert View area – a developed site along the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park – from a scenic overlook and visitor services area into an inter-Tribal cultural heritage site.

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument will strengthen partner relationships and develop staff training resources ahead of the Year of the Horse celebration in 2026. The resources developed will be made available for all of Idaho’s six national parks and 30 state parks to reference in 2026 and beyond.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will continue community and youth outreach and take on a new initiative: the strategic planning and documentation of the journey from community archeology and research to creating an experimental garden at Kahuku.

Homestead National Historical Park will conduct greater research into Latino/a homesteading experiences of the American Southwest, compile relevant resources for staff, and make Latino/a homesteading experiences more understandable in pre-existing place-based programming.

Independence Historical Trust will install exhibits – complemented by an introductory film – that describe the critical role of the First Bank in the transformation of the American financial system and economy in the opening decades of our nation.

Jimmy Carter National Historical Park will produce a short video that presents the story of the Archery, Ga. community in a way that is engaging to all ages and backgrounds and would be minimally invasive to the restored historic Carter home that was once a part of the community and now resides within the park.

Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area will leverage grant funding to begin extensive field research, oral history interviews, and archival exploration to better understand – and eventually share – the underrepresented narratives of Alaska Native People and contemporary communities within the region.

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area will conduct an in-depth study on the Fort Spokane Native American Boarding School. The findings will help improve interpretive and educational programming and materials to share more meaningful stories about the legacy and impact of the boarding school.

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail will bring African American and Tribal history together in a Tribal oral history project about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Lincoln Presidential Foundation will continue their efforts to develop an exhibit that illuminates Julius Rosenwald's contributions to education, civil rights, and philanthropy, particularly his efforts with Black leaders and communities to advance African American education during segregation.

Living Voices will develop two new multimedia programs – along with supplementary resources and interpretive materials – to be performed at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and other parks in the National Park System across the country to amplify the little-known stories of female pilots, aeronautics factory workers, and the Black and Jewish American experiences during World War II.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum will expand upon the resources that inform the “A Union of Hope” exhibit that documents, preserves, and shares the voices and actions of Black tenement residents and begin planning for the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.

Manassas Battlefield Trust will expand upon its 2023 NPF grant to establish new historic interpreter positions and research and create an interpretive trail telling the story of Andrew Redman's journey to freedom.

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site will research how enslaved people lived and worked in Lindenwald and integrate these findings into the waysides and website as part of an ongoing effort to research and interpret an inclusive history of this site.

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument will expand upon the story of Medgar Evers and stories of other key people in Mississippi by developing a more in-depth virtual tour, exhibit materials for the home and garden, a digital exhibit and story map for the website, and template curriculum for students nationwide.

National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation will bring together National Park Service employees, specialty contractors, and Tribal representatives – including several Grand Portage Band members – and coordinate with the Grand Portage Tribal Council to design an exhibit at the Marina Terminal Building in Grand Portage. The exhibit will highlight the centuries of Grand Portage people’s use and presence on Minong and the long-term connection between the Gichi Onigaming (Grand Portage Anishinaabeg) and Minong (Isle Royale).

National Park Service Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division will develop a suite of videos on Indigenous night sky storytelling in collaboration with multiple parks and their Tribal partners, and the videography department at Colorado State University.

National Park Service Southeast Regional Office will support Midge Dellinger – Citizen and Oral Historian for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation – in recording oral history with Citizens of the Muscogee Nation during the annual Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration hosted at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.

National Park Service Southeast Regional Office will create the first-ever Civil Rights Junior Ranger program to interpret the breadth and depth of the long struggle for civil rights and connect civil rights-related national parks.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park will update an important wayside using up-to-date archeological research, finish an exhibit highlighting traditional skills, and host a week-long Tribal consultation specifically centered around the interpretive program.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument will host one or two Borderlands Interpretation Charrettes where two representatives from multiple parks will meet to plan enhanced interpretive content, increased public engagement, strengthened community partnerships, collaborative regional interpretation, and additional staff training.

Park Institute of America will highlight the cultural importance of Gullah Geechee heritage and their communities’ stewardship of the sea islands.

Poudre Heritage Alliance will make Mexican American history and cultural contributions easily accessible through public engagement, education, and interpretation while involving diverse community membership.

Presidents Park (White House) will connect local high school students with the National Park Service and teach them about media arts, content creation, themes of history, freedom, and justice using the National Park Service as a backdrop.

Rocky Mountain Conservancy will develop programming to promote understanding of Indigenous contemporary experiences, histories, culture, and knowledge sharing for the more than four million annual park visitors.

Saguaro National Park will provide Indigenous storytellers with training, support, and resources to document, preserve, and share more inclusive perspectives.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park will complete an updated historic resource study for the park – with an emphasis on engaging with the diverse community individuals who identify as Mission Descendants – and develop interpretive products and programs to share the findings with visitors.

The Sandy Hook Foundation Inc. will finalize the design of an augmented reality exhibit, ‘Colonel Tye and the Black Brigade at Sandy Hook.’

Valley Forge National Historical Park will conduct interdisciplinary research on Delaware and Shawnee histories of the Valley Forge area, including gathering oral histories of Indigenous people in the area, and develop relevant interpretive products.

Washington's National Park Fund will research and compile foundational reports and incorporate those findings into program designs and curriculum.

Western Arctic National Parklands will introduce “Voices of the Arctic,” an interpretive initiative designed to enrich the visitor experience at the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center with recurring temporary exhibits designed in partnership with Aqqaluk Trust to ensure that the Iñupiat People are well represented.

Western National Parks Association will facilitate inclusive storytelling in four partner parks to enhance interpretation, generate greater awareness and appreciation of these places, and be a part of sustaining the cultures and peoples who have been historically marginalized in the telling and teaching of the national story.

Wild Excellence Films will produce, “Our Yellowstone: A Native American Perspective,” in collaboration with Native American elders and students to illustrate the 11,000-year associations between Native Americans and the Greater Yellowstone.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve will collaborate with Alaska Native partners to update the park’s maps to include native place names, better reflect Indigenous history and culture, and strengthen interpretive staff’s ability to engage in inclusive storytelling with the 30,000 visitors who see the map every year – as well as support Alaska Natives in telling their own landscape story through their own languages.

Yellowstone Forever will lead a collaborative effort – the Yellowstone Tribal Ethnographies project – with the National Park Service and Tribal entities in developing ethnographies to collect, preserve, and disseminate authentic Tribal information from the 27 Tribes associated with Yellowstone National Park.

Zion National Park Forever Project will create up-to-date interpretive media and implement as temporary exhibits, waysides, in-person programming, and other forms in locations across the park. A key part of the project will involve working with partner organizations to train staff on how to effectively tell the park’s deep history.