Freedom’s Frontier NHA will hold its 12th annual awards ceremony and partner meeting on Monday, November 17, at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, Kansas.

The meeting space opens at 1:45 p.m. The program will begin at 2:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Partners may nominate an outstanding 2025 volunteer after registration. Nominees will all be recognized at the event. Outstanding volunteer nominations close Wednesday, November 12, at 9 a.m.

Presented annually since 2013, FFNHA's Tacha Education Award and Billings MVP Award honor outstanding work and scholarship in the heritage area. They are named after Deanell Tacha and Judy Billings, the organization's founding trustee chair and executive director, respectively. The Theme Awards recognize partners with a nominated exhibit, program, or project specifically highlighting one of FFNHA’s three themes.

Partner meetings are among FFNHA’s primary means of fulfilling its mission. The events, which include speakers, breakout sessions, and best-practices seminars, encourage communication between the organization, FFNHA partners, and the communities they serve.

Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) builds awareness of struggles for freedom in western Missouri and eastern Kansas. Established by Congress in 2006, FFNHA covers a unique physical and cultural landscape across 41 counties and 31,000 square miles. It promotes three diverse, interwoven, and nationally significant stories: frontier settlement, the Missouri-Kansas Border War and Civil War, and enduring civil rights disputes. FFNHA inspires respect for multiple perspectives and empowers area residents to preserve and share these stories, achieving its goals through interpretation, preservation, conservation, and education for all residents and visitors. It is one of 62 federally recognized national heritage areas across the United States.