Latest news with #VermontHistoricalSociety
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Recent UVM grad heading up local history program loses her job as feds cut funding
Correction: Hannah Kirkpatrick's name and degree were incorrect in an earlier version of this story. The future of a federally funded program to help historical societies and museums in Vermont implement good museum practices, ensuring artifacts and historical documents are being handled properly, is no longer hanging in the balance − it's over. The Vermont Historical Society said in a press release on Thursday its grant from the Institute of Museums and Library Services for the program− called Activating 21st Century Local History − has been terminated. The letter to the VHS from acting IMLS director Keith Sonderling, said, "IMLS has determined that your grant is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency's priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the IMLS Program." The termination letter came as no surprise to the VHS, following an executive order from President Donald Trump on March 14, calling for the immediate defunding of seven governmental entities, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Hannah Kirkpatrick, a recent University of Vermont graduate with a master's degree in history, who was hired in October for the planned two-year training program, has lost her job. The program began in the summer of 2024 and was slated to run through 2027. Fitzpatrick was helping Vermont's numerous local historical societies get ready for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country by establishing their priorities for their collections and energizing their communities to help ensure the continuing preservation of local history. The termination of the program leaves $140,000 of the award outstanding. The VHS was unable to find other funding to retain Fitzpatrick in her work. Stephen Perkins, executive director of the Vermont Historical Society, told the Burlington Free Press on March 27 that he didn't have a lot of confidence the local history program would continue being funded. Turns out, he was right. Contact Dan D'Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@ Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: A federal agency has terminated a program to preserve Vermont history.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump order ends grant to help Vermont's local historical societies preserve the past
The Vermont Historical Society says funding for a statewide program to train and support volunteer staffs at local historical societies has been terminated by the Trump Administration. The $175,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services would help Vermont's 190 small historical societies and museums care for and organize their collections. VHS said it learned the grant had been terminated in an April 8 letter from Keith Sonderling, acting director of IMSL. 'Upon further review, IMLS has determined that your grant is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency's priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the IMLS Program,' Sonderling said. 'IMLS is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President's agenda.' The grant for the Activating 21st Century Local History Training Program paid for one staff member to provide 'direct, hands-on' assistance to local societies. VHS says that person will be laid off. Amanda Gustin, VHS's director of collections at the Vermont Historical Society, told ABC22/FOX44's Lauren Maloney last month that the grant may be at risk after Trump's signed an executive order defunding seven government agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 'We've done some great work on it already,' she said. 'We think right now we have until about mid-April, but we haven't yet received any answers on whether that grant will be honored after that.' Most of the funding from the grant — about $140,000 — is unspent, and VHS says it has been unable to secure funding from other sources to continue the project. 'Tragically, this move deprives Vermont's local historical societies of the resources and programming designed to support their operations as the nation prepares for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country,' VHS said. Last year, VHS's Director of Service & Outreach Eileen Corcoran said the grant 'has the potential to be a game changer for Vermont community history and beyond.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
