Promoting Democracy

After a political season shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide protests for racial justice, sharp partisan divisions, and questions about the integrity of the electoral process itself, there was a great deal to discuss after the 2020 election. Listen to a lively community conversation featuring Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Nicholas Kristof, 300th Anniversary University Professor and former Harvard Law School dean Martha Minow, educator and Facing History alum Janae McMillan, and legal scholar and Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy to examine what’s next for US democracy, the role of teachers and education, and the future of youth civic participation. 

What does it mean to be civically engaged today? How can students effectively leverage the power of digital tools to make civic change? During this webinar, we are in conversation with Henry Jenkins, Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts and Education at the University of Southern California, where we discuss the relationship between technology, learning, and civic engagement. Henry Jenkins’ research shows that young people are already engaging in “Participatory Communities” – choosing to make their communities better. Unlike the hierarchical nature of the traditional political sphere, digital participatory communities empower youth to use tools at their disposal to make their voices heard. We examine how young people interact with technology, how they choose to participate in a digital age, and how teachers can help them participate in thoughtful and responsible ways.

Adolescence is a time when two tasks take on special importance: determining our own individual identity and figuring out where and how we belong. These themes of identity, membership, belonging, and participation are the cornerstones of Facing History’s new advisory curriculum, Community Matters.   During this webinar, we explore how to help define your school's vision of advisory programmatically and consider how advisory helps to build community within the classroom and school at large.

Learn about the preparations schools should be doing and explore teaching strategies for online learning.

This 30-minute webinar introduces you to our current events resources designed to foster thoughtful classroom conversations and build your students’ capacities for critical thinking, emotional engagement, ethical reflection, and civic agency.

This webinar features a conversation with Ambassador Samantha Power about educating young people to be upstanders for a more humane and just world.

Watch this webinar to hear three classroom teachers discuss their best practices, reflect on classroom successes and challenges. Throughout, they share their tried-and-true Facing History teaching strategy favorites, strategies you can implement in your classroom right away.

Explore approaches to teaching the election that focus on the history of voting, health of democracy, the factors that shape our civic decision-making, and the power of youth agency and voice.

Registration has closed for this online course. Check Facing History’s upcoming professional learning events to view other courses.

How have the pandemic and allegations of voter fraud raised barriers to voting that may disenfranchise many Americans? Watch a special panel discussion about the FRONTLINE PBS film Whose Vote Counts, which explores an issue critical to the 2020 election: access to voting. Dr. Jelani Cobb, staff writer for The New Yorker and Columbia Journalism School Professor, joins June Cross, documentary filmmaker and Columbia Journalism School Professor, and Frontline producer Tom Jennings, for this discussion on one of the most contentious presidential elections in recent memory.  This is the third installment in the year-long Facing History Now: Conversations on Equity and Justice virtual event series.

Current events come along fast—Facing History gives educators what they need when they need it to reflect on world events with care.

Welcome! We've created a list to help you explore the best of what we have to offer. It covers topics including educator competencies, classroom resources, inspiring stories, and more.