Humanities Washington Honors Lela Hilton
with the 2007 Humanities Washington Award

Humanities Washington presents educator and community organizer Lela Hilton with the 2007 Humanities Washington Award for excellence in the public humanities. A public reception was held in Port Hadlock on the evening of Thursday, October 4. The Award, given each year in memory of Heather C. Frank of Yakima, recognizes an individual or organization whose time and talents enlarge the meaning of the humanities in our lives.

Humanities Washington chose to honor Lela for her commitment as Academic Director and the driving force behind establishing and expanding the first rural Clemente Course program. Her work has been nationally recognized, and the Jefferson County site is being used as a case study for international program growth. The Clemente Course is the result of an innovative collaboration between Bard College and community partner organizations. It has three goals: to better equip course participants for civic engagement; to promote their personal growth and enrichment; and to build a bridge for them to higher education.

The Clemente Course began in 1995 in New York City as an experiment in teaching a one-year college-level humanities course to economically and educationally disadvantaged adults. Clemente founder, writer and commentator Earl Shorris, maintains that the study of the humanities can re-connect the poor to democracy, public life, and foster civic involvement. Students seeking admission to the course must meet three simple criteria: they must be age 17-35, be able to read a tabloid newspaper in English, and be a member of a household with an income below 150% of the federal poverty line. Students who complete the 26-week course with a high achievement will receive six credits from Bard College in New York State.

When the Jefferson County Course started in 1999, there was uncertainty about the plausibility of such a project in a rural area with minimal economic and academic resources. Since then, the course has been consistently one of the most successful – and still the only rural Bard course -- in the country. Their community Advisory Board has served as a model for other courses. And over half of program graduates have gone on to a 2 or 4 year college following their Clemente experience.

Meredith Wagner, a founding Advisory Board Member and current Board Member of Humanities Washington, has witnessed the growth of the Clemente program in Jefferson County. “From the beginning, Lela believed we could create and sustain a successful Clemente Course in rural Jefferson County. She has never turned back – she developed the necessary partnerships, found the funding that was needed, and has always made sure the students received a quality educational experience. Her dedication to the students and her unfailing commitment to mentoring them, has made the course the success it is today.”

Humanities Washington is proud to present Lela’s award in honor of Heather C. Frank of Yakima, a dedicated and articulate supporter of the public humanities who throughout her life gave generously of herself to a variety of cultural community activities.

Visit our Press Page for articles about Lela Hilton and the Jefferson County Clemente Course.