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Gillian Smith and the Facing History School: A Facing History and Ourselves Podcast

In this Facing History and Ourselves podcast, we hear from Gillian Smith, principal at the Facing History School, a small public high school in New York City that opened in September of 2005 with Facing History and Ourselves as its lead partner.

Facing History School principal Gillian SmithWhen you walk the halls and peer into the classrooms of the Facing History School (FHS), you get the sense that there is a unifying mission and purpose to the school.  Around every corner there are quotations or artwork about making a difference and the importance of participating in democracy.  FHS weaves Facing History into its values, curriculum, and pedagogical approaches.  At every opportunity, students at the school are encouraged to consider the ethical dimensions of the issues they are studying, and to discuss the choices made by individuals and groups throughout history—as well as the choices they make in their own lives.

Principal Gillian Smith has done a remarkable job to help create a vibrant, supportive and inspiring environment in which students are encouraged to consider their  responsibility to the school, their communities, and the world at large.

Click on the audio controls at the bottom of this page to hear the 14-minute podcast.



Related Facing History and Ourselves Resources:

  • The Facing History School: Facing History and Ourselves is the lead partner for the Facing History School. We team with the school to help integrate our mission, values, resources, and pedagogical approaches into a rigorous and cutting edge four-year curriculum. The Facing History School was created through the New Visions New Century High Schools Initiative, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Institute, and the Carnegie Corporation.

  • Video Clip: Facing History School Graduation: Gillian Smith, Principal. In this video clip, Facing History School Principal Gillian Smith celebrates her first graduating class on June 26, 2009, as she proudly sends them off into the world.  


Additional Resources of Interest:

 

This podcast was produced by Stacy Abramson, written by John Englander and narrated by Jocelyn Stanton. Facing History and Ourselves Podcast theme music by John Englander. Background music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0."