This approach enables teachers to promote students’ historical understanding, critical thinking, empathy and other social-emotional competencies, and to facilitate transformative dialogue in their classrooms. In Facing History classrooms, teachers:
This student-centered learning environment provides the foundation for implementing Facing History’s content and pedagogy. This approach enables teachers to promote students’ historical understanding, critical thinking, empathy and other social-emotional competencies, and to facilitate transformative dialogue in their classrooms.
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
In their Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs—Middle and High School Edition, CASEL named Facing History as one of only nine middle or high school SEL programs (among nearly 400 nominated) that has a proven positive impact on students, such as increased empathy or more prosocial behavior. Facing History is just one of two cited which work at both the middle and high school level, and among the few that integrates the development of SEL competencies into the academic disciplines.
CASEL also called out Facing History for integrating issues of race/ethnicity into regular social studies and language arts instruction in its investigation of how to integrate SEL and issues of equity.
Evidence for ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)
Facing History meets ESSA standards for evidence, one of eight middle school programs and one of only four high school programs to be recommended as Evidence-Based Social-Emotional Learning Programs.
Studies have found that students who participate in Facing History programs develop: