Facing History & Ourselves

Today is election day in the United States. Put your civics education into practice and make your voice heard by voting! You have the power to change the world.

In a changing digital landscape, students must understand how their media consumption habits impact individuals, communities, and society. In this lesson—the first in our Media Literacy Unit—educators and students are invited to reflect on their behavior and practices and are introduced to a method that critically assesses media.

We're proud to announce that Facing History & Ourselves President and CEO Desmond K. Blackburn, Ph.D will speak at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Washington, DC from November 10-12, where he will bring our unique organizational perspective to a powerful K-12 education panel on rising antisemitism in schools. Click through to learn more about this impactful organization and event—we hope to see you there!

With the US presidential election days away, we know that many educators are preparing to help students understand how elections work while processing news coverage and the results. Our Elections Teaching Resources Collection is comprised of mini-lessons, explainers, and guides organized by theme—and includes teaching strategies that support social-emotional learning.

“We can still love [this country]... and engage with it. We can love with a broken heart.” We were grateful to gather supporters and teachers in New York on Monday for Reckoning with America's Complexity: Navigating Conversations in 2024, where they heard from author, professor, and Board of Scholars member Dolly Chugh. With the presidential election just a week away, Dolly led us in a powerful discussion about finding common ground in polarizing times before NY Program Director Kevin Feinberg connected the conversation to Facing History's ongoing work to promote civil engagement and democracy in classrooms. Photo credit: Hechler Photographers

Our Fostering Civil Discourse guide provides educators with ideas and tools that prepare students to engage in reflective conversations about topics that matter. This guide asks educators to start with themselves as they work to build trust and facilitate reflective conversations in the classroom.

What happens when we see past differences and communicate as human beings across conflict? Facing History recently organized an educator-facilitated discussion that included Daniel and Easha, two teenagers who co-founded an interfaith club at their high school. The powerful conversation left participants and listeners alike feeling uplifted and hopeful about a path forward through the turmoil and divisiveness of our current moment. Click through to read the event highlights and watch the webinar itself—then jump into the comments for a link to a podcast episode featuring these two inspiring students fighting antisemitism and Islamophobia in their school and community.

Join Facing History President and CEO Desmond K. Blackburn, Ph.D on November 13 at 2pm ET for an interactive webinar about how inquiry-driven leadership can help leaders unleash the collective genius in their schools and communities. Moderated by Tiffany Taylor (Partner and Co-President of ASU+GSV Summit), the panel will include Dr. Jeff Wetzler (co-founder of Transcend, Dr. Laurie Burgos (Superintendent at Shorewood School District), and Christopher S. Dennis (Associate Head, Campbell Hall). Space is limited, so be sure to register for this innovative learning space now!

Each year, our All Community Read harnesses our collective power to nurture empathy and bring people together from across our network. This year we are embracing choice in our All Community Read and offering six books—three for middle school readers and three for high school readers—united under the theme of borders and belonging.

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the tragic events at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While nothing can bring back the lives lost in this senseless antisemitic attack, the story of the powerful community response helps teach us what it means to be "stronger than hate." When Facing History partner organization Not In Our Town showed their documentary film Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life to 150 high school students, they were amazed at the impact it had. Discover this moving case study to see how the next generation can be inspired in the fight against hate.