The City of Philadelphia is funding historical research into itself, as displayed when it sent $150,000 to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, writes Peter Crimmins for WHYY.

The dollar amount from the city’s 2023 budget is going toward supporting a rising generation of historical research, as 12 selected students from area colleges and universities will spend a week digging through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s archives to see what they find.

“This type of investment makes it so that there can be more opportunities, more events and more narratives told that put young Philadelphians in a position to know their history,” said Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.

The City is planning to fully support the Public History Summer Academy for two years. This is essential as the city anticipates the high tourism likely to arrive in 2026 for the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup games that will be coming to Philadelphia.

The students applied for the Academy with their proposed areas of study last year. The 12 students were selected out of about 100 applications.

David Brigham, CEO of the HSP, said the Academy is designed to show pathways into history careers as the organization aims to foster more youthful and inclusive historical perspectives.

Read more about the efforts being made to uncover Philly’s history in WHYY.

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