The PA Humanities Discovery Project was a joint effort of PA Humanities and scholars at Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. It was conducted during the pandemic and the ongoing recovery, when humanities practice adapted to focus on community and personal well-being and the financial and human resources needed to meet the moment. Its goals are to:

• Map, network, and celebrate the humanities landscape;
• Build a more inclusive and connected community for sharing, learning, and advocacy;
• Tell the story of the humanities in Pennsylvania.

These goals reflect PA Humanities’ core values of putting people first, innovating and growing, sharing tools, and building networks. Through a statewide survey, focus groups, and listening sessions, the project explored who across the state is building community using the humanities and how cultural and humanities practices are used by people in their professional or volunteer work. It was built on the principles of emergent strategy and a participatory research design.