Civic Education, Democracy, & Lessons from History Workshop
About this event:
Multi-Session
Our multi-session professional learning series are designed for in-depth exploration of themes and topics that help educators strengthen their skills and competencies. Session information is included in the event details.
Instructor-Led
This professional learning event will be led by Facing History staff. When you register, you will receive instructions for how to attend the event.
This event qualifies for Certificate of Completion.
See Details
Key Points
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Registration will close on July 15, 2025.
Educators play a critical role in helping young people understand lessons from history to navigate our world today. This two-day workshop will explore the interdisciplinary nature of civic learning and Facing History’s approach to civic education, which helps cultivate young people’s informed civic responsibility.
Utilizing our Fostering Civil Discourse Guide, we will introduce educators to our approach for navigating crucial conversations. You will also have a chance to learn about our newly updated unit, Choices in Little Rock, that focuses on people’s civic choices—the decisions people make as members of a democracy. Those decisions, both then and now, reveal that democracy is not a product but a work in progress. This workshop will provide you with tools to help your students grapple with the legacies of history and empower your students to reflect upon the issues and dilemmas that shape civic life today.
Through our project-based resources for taking informed action, you will leave with ideas for how students can connect the content from the Choices in Little Rock unit with a range of choices students have within their own community to be civically engaged.
The workshop is designed for educators teaching 6th–12th grades who want to teach the history of desegregation and integrate civic learning into their social studies courses, such as facilitating discussions of civic and societal issues, helping students reflect on their civic identity, and cultivating their civic agency by applying lessons from history to civic participation today. It is also relevant for school and district curriculum specialists and instructional coaches who may be working with these educators.
In the workshop, you will:
- Experience Facing History’s approach to civic education, which helps cultivate young people’s informed civic responsibility
- Engage with strategies and materials designed to foster civil discourse and discussions of civic topics in your classroom
- Explore ways to center students’ identities, voices, and lived experiences as they develop civic agency and responsibility
- Investigate the history of desegregation in Little Rock as a case study of democracy and participation
- Explore resources that help students reflect on the choices they have within their own community to be civically engaged
Schedule: July 23–24, 2025
- Wednesday, July 23: 12 - 4:00 p.m. ET (convert to your time zone)
- Thursday, July 24: 12 - 4:00 p.m. ET (convert to your time zone)
Time Commitment: Approximately 4 hours per day (plus some breaks).
Cost: There is a nonrefundable $25 registration fee due once your application has been accepted. The event fee for this seminar has been waived thanks to generous funding from Facing History & Ourselves donors and partner organizations.
Format: Facilitated Zoom meetings. This interactive workshop will include conversation and breakout sessions. In alignment with Facing History’s privacy policy, we will not be recording the sessions, so please plan to join us live.
Accessibility: Facing History is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive educational environment for educators of all abilities. If you have an accessibility need, please contact us at support [at] facinghistory.org. If possible, requests should be made at least two weeks in advance. Please note: we will make every effort to secure services, but all are subject to availability.
Contact support [at] facinghistory.org with any questions.
Certificate of Completion
This event qualifies for a Certificate of Completion. At the conclusion of the event, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion for 8 hours of attendance. Certificates may be submitted for a school’s or district’s approval towards professional development credits. Requirements for professional development credits vary by state. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of their school, organization, and/or state.
In some states you may also be eligible for professional development credit. If you are from IL, MA, NY, or TX contact [email protected] for more information.
