Engaging Students | Facing History & Ourselves

Engaging Students

Students in Facing History classrooms know they belong and their voices matter. We trust students to grapple with hard histories and make sense of the world around them.

Facing History…

  1. Engages students in meaningful ways in their own learning

  2. Classrooms are learning environments that foster mutual respect, inclusion, and enable students to listen and engage with different points of view

  3. Curriculum is relevant to students’ lives, which increases their investment in their learning, and encourages risk-taking in the classroom

  4. Students wrestle with challenging content while developing their own perspectives and voice

  5. Students learn the value and necessity of participating in civic life and their role in shaping a democratic society

Engaging & Effective Learning Experiences

Facing History engages adolescents during a critical time in their development. Our classrooms integrate the study of history and literature with innovative teaching strategies. We encourage students to explore identity and human behavior, reflect on the choices they confront in their own lives today, and consider how they can make a positive difference.

Student Voices

Facing History & Ourselves supports teachers as they create learning environments where students know they belong and their voices matter. 

Stefan engages in classroom discussion.
Speaker in classroom.
Parima speaks in class.

Stefan on Being Engaged in a Facing History Classroom

Madison on the Community of a Facing History Classroom

Parima on Heated Conversation in the Facing History Classroom

Incorporate our student-centered teaching strategies with any lesson plan or academic content. 

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Positive Student Outcomes

English Language Arts and Social Studies educators have long understood the power of Facing History to engage students. Our impact data proves it. In a randomized controlled trial, Facing History was shown to significantly increase

  • students' tolerance for others who hold different views,
  • their awareness of the dangers of prejudice and antisemitism, and 
  • their perception of their classroom as having a positive climate 

Facing History students are more civically involved than their peers and have stronger skills for analyzing history.

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High school student sitting in classroom and smiling

Centering Student Voices to Build Community and Agency

Explore approaches to centering student voice, building authentic relationships and cultivating community with Molly Josephs, the creator of This Teenage Life, a youth-driven, story-sharing podcast that started as a school club.

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