Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: Diana Ramirez
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Grant
Project ID (if applicable): NA
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): NA
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): NA
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): NA
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of County Administration for approval to submit an application to the National Endowment for the Humanities for grant funds in the amount of $500,000 to promote education through civic engagement.
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Background and Discussion:
In November 2021, the Commissioners Court adopted the Harris County Equity Guidelines to align with the vision, “Harris County will build a more dynamic, vibrant, and resilient community while being inclusive, equitable, and transparent in all that we do.”
In October 2024, the Commissioners Court approved a five-year strategic framework with an updated vision to create a Harris County that is safe and fair, healthy, secure, resilient, thriving, and connected.
The Office of Human and Civil Rights is proposing a historical bus tour and the design and implementation of an immersive historical experience for Harris County Residents to promote education through civic engagement. The bus tour will be characterized by historical narratives presented through curated, interactive tours within each Commissioner Precinct. Each Precinct tour will focus on a specific component of Harris County and Texas history. The second component of this proposal is an escape room-style activity and a mobile library, accompanied by an augmented reality app for deeper civic and historical engagement. The Office of Human and Civil Rights has established partnerships with Harris County Public Library, Harris County Texas AgriLife Extension, Harris County Hispanic Cultural Heritage Commission, and Debra Blacklock-Sloan. This project would also leverage existing fleet and transportation services within precincts.
Expected Impact: Harris County staff and residents will increase their knowledge of and appreciation for Harris County in addition to increased civic engagement. It is the hope of the Office of Human and Civil Rights that the tour generates revenue to both support the Office and sustain the program once grant funding has ended.
Alternative Options: Inaccurate understanding of and an under appreciation of the history of Harris County.
Alignment with Goal(s):
_ Justice and Safety
_ Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
X Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Choose an item.
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
National Endowment for Humanities |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Non-Labor |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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Grant |
$ 100,000 |
$400,000 |
$500,000 |
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$ |
$ |
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Total Current Budget |
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$ |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Funding Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
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Anticipated Court Date: 12/10/2024
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Once awarded
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Arelia Johnson, Chief Equity Officer, Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable): NEH RFP