Hmong Cultural Center Is Awarded Federal Museum Grant

By Mark Pfeifer

The Hmong Cultural Center Museum has been awarded an Inspire! Grant for Small Museums in the amount of $49,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington D.C. This funding over the grant period of 9/01/23 – 8/31/24 will support the Hmong Cultural Center Storefront Museum Service Expansion Project. Grant project activities will include recruiting and onboarding two new additional part-time tour guides to conduct guided tours for schools, youth groups, and other community groups; extending museum hours of operations to allow more people to visit including on weekends; and conducting additional outreach to community-serving organizations around the Twin Cities to raise awareness of the museum’s increased tour capacity. The project will result in many more visitors developing a greater appreciation of the Hmong American experience and the richness of Hmong culture and folk arts. 

Hmong Cultural Center has also been awarded a new two-year grant of $40,000 from the McKnight Foundation to provide operating support for the organization’s arts programs. HCC thanks IMLS and the McKnight Foundation for this important show of support for our mission and the community we serve! 

Citizenship Success Stories

In July, HCC Citizenship students Soe Poe and Way Doh Moo passed the U.S. Citizenship exam and earned their naturalization. Both Soe and Way were students in HCC’s Citizenship class for the Karen community, a partnership with the Karen Ministry at First Baptist Church in St. Paul. The class is offered Friday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 PM with both in-person and Zoom options. For more info about the class, contact Serrida Htoo at 612-594-0343. 

Image courtesy of the Hmong Culture Center.