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Drs. Don Lafreniere and James Juip presented two papers at the 6th Conference of the European Society of Historical Demography. The conference took place at the Universita di Bologna, the oldest university in continuous operation in the world, from September 10th-13th. Discussion centered around the theme of minorities and majorities in historical populations. Both papers were presented in a session entitled 'Geospatial Approaches in Historical Demography'. The session started with 'Hazards in Children's Environments and their Impact on Social Mobility throughout Life-course', authored by James Juip and Don Lafreniere. This paper was followed by 'Modelling Neighborhoods for Historical Spatio-Demographic Analysis' authored by Don Lafreniere, James Townsend and James Juip. The session was rounded out by papers entitled 'Comparison of spatiotemporal evolution of infectious diseases in Belgium (1890-1950)', by Valentin Charlier, Thierry Eggerickx, Sophie O. Vanwambeke and 'The Lethal Grip of Heat: Mapping the Heat Wave - Mortality Nexus in Spain', by Dariya Ordanovich, Diego Ramiro, Aurelio Tobías, Ana Casanueva.
 The Michigan Historic Preservation Network's 45th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference took place at Lake Superior State University Thursday, May 15th through Saturday May 17th. The conference brought together historians, preservationists, architects, engineers, anthropologists, and archaeologists from around the state of Michigan invested in the process of historic preservation. Dr. Sarah Fayen-Scarlett shared a presentation co-authored by Dr. Juip, Mr. Cowling, and Dr. Lafreniere in the session 'Old Stories, New Tools: Engaging New Audiences through Digital Storytelling'. The talk centered around the value of using the Keweenaw Time Traveler as a unique tool for engaging members of the public in heritage making through the process of digital storytelling.
Dr. Sarah Scarlett visited Houghton Middle School today. Students used the Keweenaw Time Traveler to connect and explore Houghton's past. Dr. Scarlett also passed out Houghton Bingo for students to try with their families.  The NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) virtual workshops continued yesterday with over 40 fellows in attendance. During this workshop Director Dr. Dan Trepal led a discussion on best practices in Data Linking, the creation of Historical Spatial Data Infrastructures, and Data Management. Each of these topics has played a critical role in building the Keweenaw Time Traveler and are essential components of building deep maps as they allow for the connection of data across time and space. The recording of this virtual workshop and others as they become available can be found on the NEH CDMI Virtual Workshops & Asynchronous Modules webpage. A full schedule of virtual workshops and the in-person institute program can be found on the Schedule page.
On Tuesday, April 3rd the directors of the NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) received notice that the National Endowment for the Humanities had terminated the federal grant responsible for funding the 2025 institute. The letter states: ‘The NEH has reasonable cause to terminate your grant in light of the fact that the NEH is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda’. Further information about NEH funding priorities and the Agency’s recent implementation of Trump administration executive orders can be found in this recent press release from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The elimination of this funding mechanism immediately put strain on financially supporting both Institute program development by research staff and faculty as well as the two week in-person workshops taking place in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Over the course of this last week directors have worked to develop a new plan for the continuation of the NEH CDMI constrained by the funding limitations due to the grant termination. To meet this challenge the director team developed a two-prong approach. First, directors developed a new plan that aimed to limit and differ costs while also still meeting the original aims of the Institute and supporting the needs of Institute fellows and their deep mapping projects. Secondly, directors reached out for financial support from their own academic institutions as well as reaching out for support from academic and professional institutions associated with Institute fellows. Yesterday, NEH CDMI directors and fellows met to discuss the current state of affairs surrounding the Institute. Directors explained the current situation to fellows and discussed their work over the past week to create a plan that would allow the Institute to continue without creating an undue burden of costs on fellows. Fellows universally expressed their support for the Institute and the work directors continued to do to support their teams and projects. All teams agreed that the Institute should move forward with virtual sessions. Teams also expressed a willingness to participate in a more condensed in-person program in the Keweenaw this July, paying for their own transportation and lodging. Due to the overwhelming support of the Institute fellows as well as generous financial support from Michigan Technological University and North Dakota State University the 2025 NEH CDMI will continue with both virtual and in-person workshops. The updated virtual and in-person schedules can be found on the NEH CDMI schedule page.  Members of the Keweenaw Time Traveler team and Michigan Technological University’s Social Sciences Department attended the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting In Detroit this past week. Over the course of the week students and faculty have presented in or helped facilitate 27 sessions! Below is a list of work presented at the conference:
In partnership with the Hamtramck Historical Museum and Wayne State University the Keweenaw Time Traveler hosted “Explore the ‘World in 2 square miles’ - the unique enclave of Hamtramck Michigan” a field trip to the community of Hamtramck was one of the highlights of the week. Visitors used the Hamtramck Explorer on their mobile phones to explore the temporal and spatial changes Hamtramck has experienced. Participants received a personal tour of the Hamtramck Historical Museum and wrapped up their excursion with a trip to the Polish Village Cafe.
 7th and 8th graders from Jeffers visited the Michigan Tech Department of Social Sciences this Wednesday and Thursday. As part of their visit students learned how to use the Keweenaw Time Traveler as a historical resource to learn and share about the history of their communities. Students also broke into teams and used the Keweenaw Time Traveler Mobile application to play Keweenaw Time Traveler Bingo across the Michigan Tech campus. Students uncovered buildings and places that used to play a large part in campus life. Students will be using the Keweenaw Time Traveler this Spring to share stories collected from their parents and grandparents about life in the Copper Country. Interested in Keweenaw Time Traveler Bingo or how the Time Traveler can be used in your classroom? The Lessons from the Past page provides a variety of resources for ages K-12.  NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) fellows and directors met virtually yesterday to discuss developing and sustaining community partnerships and ethical community-based work. Using the Keweenaw Time Traveler as an example directors shared some of the best practices in engaging and sustaining community partnerships as well as their value in the scoping, creation, and ongoing development of deep maps. Fellows shared the challenges and opportunities they have had in engaging community stakeholders in their own projects. The recording of this virtual workshop and others as they become available can be found on the NEH CDMI Virtual Workshops & Asynchronous Modules webpage. A full schedule of virtual workshops and the in-person institute program can be found on the Schedule page.
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