Grant Opportunity: EAST ASIA IN WISCONSIN

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in incidents of harassment and assault against Asian Americans, international students, and visitors from Asia has been reported by the Anti-Defamation League and other organizations. While the motivations behind these incidents are complex, a shortage of empathy and understanding is surely a factor.

Fostering a better understanding of East Asia and its peoples is part of the core mission of the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. To further this mission, CEAS is working with the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Library Team (DPI) to pilot a new initiative: East Asia in Wisconsin Program. The initiative supports collection development and programming at public libraries that will enrich understanding of East Asia in local communities.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Grants of up to $1,000 are available to public libraries in Wisconsin for:

• the purchase of East Asia-related materials to augment library collections (see materials list with Full CEAS Grant Details document link below);
• East Asian programming including, but not limited to: book club materials and programming, and hosting virtual programs related to East Asia (see program ideas in Full CEAS Grant Details document link below).

APPLICATION

Proposals will be accepted through 5 PM Thursday, October 1, 2020. Application materials will be evaluated on these criteria:

• Demonstrated need to diversify the library collection and/or program offerings.
• To ensure diversity in funding, CEAS will prioritize funding libraries across all 16 Library Systems, with a wide range of populations served.

To apply, first consult the Full CEAS Grant Details document. Then please fill out the short application and budget form.

Any questions regarding the application process should be directed to CEAS Associate Director Laurie Dennis (ldennis@wisc.edu). If you want assistance with preparing your grant, contact Cindy Fesemyer at DPI (cindy.fesemyer@dpi.wi.gov).