Northern Rockies Heritage Center Projects Under Discussion

NRHC Projects Under Discussion

The NRHC is seeking funds for a campus planning grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Getty Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

In conjunction with the capital projects, the NRHC envisions programming projects. These include potential partnership projects under discussion: historical and military presentations, workshops and lectures; regional conferences on topics important to the Rocky Mountain West; guided and interpretive tours and exhibits; multi-cultural events; Elder Hostel programs; dramatic performances; Native American conferences and gatherings; folk dances and concerts; historical re-enactments; horse shows; and seasonal events of many kinds.

Long Range Strategic Plan

NRHC's long-range vision is to foster a fusion of contemporary concerns with expanded historical awareness. Among the long-range planning objectives is that of establishing a unique, inter-disciplinary, partnership program focused on the Old and the New American West.

Partnership discussions are currently in progress with several local organizations:

The Montana World Affairs Council;
The Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs (UM);
The O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West (UM);
The Jeannette Rankin Peace Resource Center;
The Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History;
The Missoula Housing Authority in conjunction with the federal Department of Veteran's Affairs
The proximity of the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula (immediately adjacent to the Fort), offers numerous partnership project opportunities.

Fort Missoula offers a unique, historic setting as a regional center for cultural enrichment. The Long-Range Planning process asks and seeks to answer the following question: How do we make the transition from former military post to unique community and regional resource? For program planning, the NRHC Directors look at three inter-related areas of focus:

Strategic partnerships (through projects and programs)
Program development (inter-disciplinary historic, humanistic, natural history, arts and culture programs)
Capital and Capacity development (maintenance, restoration, renovation, acquisition of property, and organizational capacity development).
The NRHC Strategic Plan covers a seven-year period with two target phases to address each of the above focus areas.

The target phases are:

Planning, Capital and Project Phase (FY03-06);
Program Implementation (FY04-07).

Because capital and program needs intersect, the Strategic Plan will provide a cost-effective approach to feasible, measurable progress that meets unique community needs not addressed by other organizations.