The University of North Florida is one of eight higher education institutions nationwide to receive a Preservation and Access Education and Training grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2025.
Grants are awarded to support projects that address challenges in preserving or providing access to humanities collections and resources and prepare the next generation of conservators and preservation professionals.
UNF said in a Jan. 16 news release the $350,000 award will establish a three-year Archivist-in-Training program, an initiative designed to provide undergraduates with comprehensive archival training and hands-on experience while preserving significant historical collections in Northeast Florida.
Thirty UNF undergraduate students will receive paid internships, training in archival preservation and processing and professional development under the mentorship of UNF faculty and library staff.
A central focus of the initiative will be preserving Jacksonville’s African American history, including its legacy as the “Harlem of the South.” Students will work to preserve collections such as the papers of philanthropist Eartha M.M. White, records of early 20th-century jazz in LaVilla and oral histories from the Gullah Geechee communities.
In addition to preserving local history, the initiative may contribute to educational curricula, including Duval County Public Schools’ African American history curriculum and summer writing institutes. If successful, UNF plans to expand the program’s model to other universities to combine undergraduate education with community-connected archival work.
Community partners include the Eartha M.M. White Museum, Ritz Theatre and Museum, Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center in St. Augustine, Mandarin Historical Society and Museum and Durkeeville Historical Society.
The project also was selected as a National Endowment for the Humanities special initiative, “American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future,” as it has potential to help emphasize the role of the humanities in tackling contemporary social challenges.