National History Day (NHD) has recently announced the first phase of its Inclusive History Initiative. The initiative is a series of programs and publications designed to promote diversity, equity, access and inclusion. Inclusive History will not only focus on diverse topics, events, people and ideas but also how to make participation more accessible to students and educators with various backgrounds, educational levels and socioeconomic statuses.
The initiative is funded by the Bezos Family Foundation.
“For nearly 50 years, National History Day has bolstered an interest in history and civics education,” said Marilyn López, program officer of the Bezos Family Foundation. “We are excited to support their geographic expansion and ensure a more inclusive history is made available for all young people.”
The first phase of programming will involve piloting outreach to urban and rural schools in four states: Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina and Oklahoma. NHD will also co-lead a series of professional development workshops to engage teachers and strengthen their programs in various counties, including Marion County through the Indiana Historical Society.
NHD will expand its “Moving Freedom Forward” series – a collection of teacher sourcebooks that include various teaching materials, such as essays by historians, lessons plans and graphic organizers – through the second phase of the Inclusive History Initiative.
“We are excited to collaborate with schools and teachers in these communities to engage more students in the process of historical research. Quality history education helps young people gain a deeper understanding of our shared history and encourages students to become involved and active citizens,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn.
To learn more about NHD’s Inclusive History Initiative, visit www.nhd.org.
