Nominations are now being accepted for the first annual History in Pennsylvania “HIP” Awards, which will be presented at the History Affiliates Luncheon on October 19, 2012. Nomination forms are available at www.hsp.org/hipawards.

This is the inaugural year for the History Affiliates Luncheon, which will recognize excellence and innovation in the history and heritage community in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Union League of Philadelphia. Awards will be given for encouraging and fostering community interest and awareness in history in the following categories:Educational and Public Programs; Stewardship, Care or Interpretation of Historic Structures, Museum and Archival Collections; Partnership Projects; and Volunteer of the Year. 

The awards will honor volunteer-run, small, and mid-sized history and heritage organizations in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Awards will be presented in three organizational categories (all-volunteer, small, and mid-sized) based on institutional size. History organizations are encouraged to nominate either themselves or their peer organizations for consideration. To be eligible, projects must have been completed between March 31, 2010, and June 30, 2012. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. July 23, 2012. Nomination criteria and application forms can be found at www.hsp.org/hipawards.

“History and heritage organizations are a central part of the contemporary community and landscape,” says Prudence Haines, director of History Affiliates. “We need to support their efforts to provide us with accurate history and preserve the past.”

The HIP Awards are sponsored by History Affiliates, a program created by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and funded by the Barra Foundation. Among its goals, History Affiliates aims to support history and heritage organizations by developing a sense of community in the field;

lowering the barriers of participation in terms of money, time, and location; aggregating information and resources that support heritage organizations; and creating a central “voice” representing the interests of the sector. History Affiliates offers its members a monthly e-newsletter, capacity-building programs and workshops, and advocacy for the history and heritage sector, and is developing a robust website with a variety of resources and online members directory.

For more information about History Affiliates, visit www.hsp.org/historyaffiliates.