The Pulitzer Center was pleased to host the inaugural 1619 Education Conference on February 19 and 20, 2022. This virtual event, free and open to the public, celebrated the accomplishments and explored the challenges of our first 1619 Project Education Network cohort, provided opportunities to learn about the resources they have created on our www.1619education.org website, and served as an invitation for interested educators to apply to join the second cohort.
The 2022 conference ultimately featured three keynote presenters, seven panels with 24 educators from The 1619 Project Education Network and Pulitzer Center/Penguin Random House 1619 Pilot Program, hundreds of attendees from all over the world, and hours of indescribably rich conversation and resource-sharing. We cannot wait to continue building on this amazing experience!
Conference keynotes included Martha S. Jones, history professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of the essay on "Citizenship" from The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, and Renée Watson and Nikkolas Smith, co-writer and illustrator of Born on the Water, a book for children adapted from the project.
Keynote Speakers
MARTHA S. JONES
Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, Professor of History, Professor at the SNF Agora Institute @Johns Hopkins University
Professor Martha S. Jones is the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, Professor of History, and a Professor at the SNF Agora Institute at The Johns Hopkins University. She is a legal and cultural historian whose work examines how Black Americans have shaped the story of American democracy. Professor Jones is the author of Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All (2020), selected as one of Time's 100 must-read books for 2020. Her 2018 book, Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America (2018), was winner of the Organization of American Historians Liberty Legacy Award (best book in civil rights history), the American Historical Association Littleton-Griswold Prize (best book in American legal history), the American Society for Legal History John Phillip Reid book award (best book in Anglo-American legal history) and the Baltimore City Historical Society Scholars honor for 2020.
RENÉE WATSON
Co-author, Born on the Water
Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together, received a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Award. Her books for young readers include Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and Ways to Make Sunshine, which received the SCBWI Golden Kite Award. She has given readings and lectures at many renowned places including the United Nations, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. embassy in Japan and New Zealand. Renée is on the Council of Writers for the National Writing Project and is a member of the Academy of American Poets’ Education Advisory Council. Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and splits her time between Portland and New York City. To learn more about Renée’s work, visit her at www.reneewatson.net.
NIKKOLAS SMITH
Illustrator, Born on the Water
Nikkolas Smith is a Houston, Texas–born Artivist, picture book author, and Hollywood film illustrator. He is the author-illustrator of The Golden Girls of Rio, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, My Hair Is Poofy & That’s Okay, and World Cup Women. As a Black illustrator, Nikkolas is focused on creating captivating art that can spark important conversations around social justice in today’s world and inspire meaningful change. Many of his viral, globally shared and published sketches are included in his book Sunday Sketch: The Art of Nikkolas. Nikkolas also speaks on his Artivism at conferences, workplaces, and schools around the world, and leads workshops in digital painting, character, and movie poster design. He lives in Los Angeles, California. Learn more here: www.NIKKOLAS.art.
THE 1619 PROJECT EDUCATION NETWORK
The 1619 Project Education Network consists of forty-one teams of educators from across the United States that collaborated over the past year to develop and implement unit plans that connect students to The 1619 Project and other related historical and journalistic sources. Representatives from an estimated 13 teams will present as part of conference panels, but panels will also highlight learning and resources developed by all teams. For more about The 1619 Project Education Network, visit www.1619education.org.
Panelists | 1619 at All Age Levels
ABIGAIL HENRY
High School Educator
Abigail Henry has been teaching African-American History at Mastery Charter Schools for the past 10 years. She is the Content Lead for the charter network. In this position Abigail has helped write the African American history curriculum and frequently lead Professional Development sessions for other teachers. In addition Abigail is a collaborating network educator for the Center for Black Educator Development, frequent contributor to “Philly’s 7th Ward,” and last summer served as Lead Coach for the Philadelphia Area’s Freedom School Literacy School Academy.
ANDY EISEN
Professor and Adult Learner Instructor
Andy Eisen is a Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Stetson University. In 2015, he co-founded the Community Education Project, a higher education in prison program offering liberal arts instruction at the Tomoka Correctional Institution. Since 2018, he has collaborated with incarcerated scholars to challenge entrenched narratives on slavery and Indian Removal in East Florida, culminating in the creation of a traveling exhibit focused on histories of resistance to settler violence.
JULIE EMRA
Elementary Educator
Julie has been teaching for 7 years in both the U.S. and abroad. She is passionate about writing curriculum that empowers all learners.
NONCY FIELDS
Elementary Educator
Noncy has been teaching elementary school for 29 years and serves the community in which she grew up. She is a leader and disruptor who is committed to social justice work across all subject areas.
PAMELA CAPPAS-TORO
Professor and Adult Learning Instructor
Pamela Cappas-Toro is an Associate Professor of World Languages and Cultures at Stetson University. She is one of the co-founders and co-directors of the Community Education Project, a liberal arts higher education in prison initiative based in Florida since 2015. Cappas-Toro’s current research explores questions of carcerality, community engaged learning, critical service learning, translation, and higher education in prison.
TIARA MINTZ
Middle & High School Educator
Tiara Mintz is a proud native of Baltimore, MD and alumnae of Morgan State University. She is a 3rd generation educator. Mintz strives to teach her students the importance of social justice and the importance of being active citizens in their respective communities.
Panelists | Beyond the Text
CHRISTINE FRYER
High School Educator
Ms. Fryer has been a high school Social Studies teacher for the past eighteen years. She teaches AP World History, Global History and Law classes. Christine is also an adjunct at City College teaching an undergraduate and graduate course in Methodologies of Teaching Social Studies. Ms. Fryer has always taught in Title I high schools and beliefs deeply in the power of education.
CORTNIE BELSER
Elementary & Middle School Educator
Cortnie Belser is a native of Baltimore, Maryland with roots in youth organizing that have grown into a budding passion for collaboration and curriculum. She is in her 3rd year at City Neighbors Charter School as a middle school Humanities teacher. She was a 2020 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellow in the Media, Misinformation, and the Pandemic track and documented her virtual unit curriculum “Vote and Voice: A Pandemic Photojournalism Series” for 6-8th grade.
KATE SIEDL
Elementary & Middle School Educator
Kate Seidl has been a progressive educator for 3 decades and currently serves as principal of City Neighbors Charter School K-8 in Baltimore, MD.
KIMBERLY ANNECE HENDERSON
Historical Researcher and Curator, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story Photo Archivist
Kimberly Annece Henderson is a historical researcher and curator based in New York City. Her work centers genealogy and Black American lineages through archival photography and historical preservation. She currently facilitates digital projects for the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. And she earned her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences from Syracuse University.
VICTORIA JACKS
Middle School Educator
Victoria Jacks came to teaching from the corporate world and has been teaching Social Studies in New Brunswick for the past 20 years.
Panelists | Differentiation, Scaffolding, and Accessibility
DEBRA GUACHIONE
Middle School Educator
Debra Guachione is Pittsfield Public School's DEI and Civic Lead. She is also Reid Middle School's Writing Lead for students in grades 6-8. Debra is an MA Certified Educator in ELA, History, Humanities for 5th-12th grade and also holds her MBA. Prior to joining the staff at RMS, Debra served as the District Director for a Member of Congress for almost 20 years and she has been actively involved in local, state and national politics and public policy for the majority of her professional career.
DEVALYN ROGERS
Middle School Educator
Ms. Rogers is a veteran teacher currently teaching the OUR HISTORY class at Cherokee Heights Middle School in the Madison Metropolitan School District. She is trained at the Buck Institute and, OUR HISTORY is a year-long Project-Based Learning (PBL) course that challenges our Rising Scholars’ (RS') excellence daily. The course work is rigorous, requiring our RS's to collaborate, investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. Each unit delves into a different subtopic from the overarching theme: OUR HISTORY!
HANNAH NOLAN-SPOHN
Middle School Educator
H. Nolan-Spohn is a middle school English Language Support teacher, with 12 years' experience in public schools. She is passionate about student self-determination and self-advocacy. She has previously presented on topics including teaching graphic novels, student participation in IEP development, and using municipal budgeting as a teaching tool in math.
Panelists | Teaching the Next Generation of Teachers, The 1619 Project Books in Schools of Education
AMANDA VICKERY
University of North Texas
Amanda E. Vickery is an Associate Professor of Social Studies and Anti-Racist Education at the University of North Texas and a former middle school social studies teacher.
JASON GRIFFITH
Penn State University
Dr. Jason Griffith is an Assistant Professor of Literacies and English Language Arts at Penn State University who studies narrative nonfiction and storytelling for students and teachers as well as adolescent literature/literacies and writing pedagogy. Prior to earning his doctorate in English Education from Arizona State University, Jason taught middle and high school English for 12 years.
NOREEN NASEEM RODRIGUEZ
University of Colorado Boulder
Noreen Naseem Rodríguez is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Learning, Research, and Practice in the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is the co-author of Social Studies for a Better World: An Anti-Oppressive Approach for Elementary Educators and researches the teaching of so-called difficult histories through children's literature and primary sources.
ALLAN SPENCER
Penguin Random House
Allan Spencer is a Marketing Manager at Penguin Random House Education. In that role, he works with the imprints that comprise the Random House Publishing Group to share outstanding books and educational resources with teachers and students nationwide.
Panelists | Addressing Resistance and Opposition to Teaching 1619
DONNALIE JAMNAH
Pulitzer Center Staff
Donnalie Jamnah is the K-12 Partnerships Manager for the Pulitzer Center’s education team. They manage several programs including the 1619 Educator Network. DJ comes to the center after years working as an instructional coach for teachers in K-12 classrooms. Prior to instructional coaching, DJ taught 10th grade English Language Arts.
JOY BESS
Middle and High School Curriculum Coordinator
Joy was a middle school social studies teacher for 23 years before making the jump to K-12 Social Studies & 9-12 ELA Curriculum Coordinator two years ago. All those years have been spent proudly serving Columbia Public Schools in Columbia, MO.
LAUREN SHALLISH
The College of New Jersey
Dr. Lauren Shallish is an Associate Professor of Critical Disability Studies in Education in the Urban Education Department at Rutgers University-Newark. Her research examines the hyper-labeling of multiply-minoritized students and how constructs of ability and dis/ability are framed in higher education equity work. She teaches community-engaged courses on inclusive and social justice pedagogies, critical disability studies, and qualitative research. Dr. Shallish worked in higher education and urban K-12 settings, most recently as Chief of Staff at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, in the Office of Special Education in D.C. Public Schools (Early Stages and the Incarcerated Youth Program), and as a qualitative research assistant for the Center on Institutional and Social Change at Columbia University Law School. In partnership with local teachers, she received local, state, and national grant awards for her work on The Troublemaker Project. This student-led collective recently received membership into The 1619 Project Education Network.
DAVID BWIRE
The College of New Jersey
David Bwire is an Associate Professor in the department of Special Education, Language and Literacy in the School of Education at The College of New Jersey. His scholarship is located within the field of transcultural literacy studies. He is a linguistic anthropologist who studies the changing nature of language and identity practices among youth in globalizing localities. His current project on decolonizing research traditions illustrates how the field of literacy research can benefit from cross-cultural epistemic collaborations.
Panelists | 1619 Education Network Q&A
CYRISSE ALLEN
Elementary Math and Social Studies Educator
Mrs. Allen is employed by the Detroit Public Schools Community District and is a 28-year educator who loves to teach, reach, preach and change the lives of her students. As a member of this 1619 Project initiative, she has been able to address and infuse curriculum to her students that is creating a lasting impact on the true history of America. Cyrisse is married with two adult sons.
DONNALIE JAMNAH
Pulitzer Center Staff
Donnalie Jamnah is the K-12 Partnerships Manager for the Pulitzer Center’s education team. They manage several programs including the 1619 Educator Network. DJ comes to the center after years working as an instructional coach for teachers in K-12 classrooms. Prior to instructional coaching, DJ taught 10th grade English Language Arts.
TRISTIAN COX
High School Educator
Dr. Tristian M. Cox attended Rutgers University for undergraduate studies. He attended Seton Hall University for his graduate studies. He has thirteen years of experience in education and works to combat stereotypes of what success looks like for minorities!
MAYA WILSON
High School Educator
Maya Wilson, a Baltimore native, has a degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh, with specializations in Africana Studies and Theater Arts. She currently teaches 11th grade World History and serves as Co-advisor of the Student Government Association at Baltimore City College high school. Maya is passionate about her hometown, community engagement, and social activism. She has worked as an Urban Ranger with the Baltimore National Heritage Area, most closely with the Edgar Allen Poe Museum and Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park in Baltimore. In addition to teaching, she works as the Social Media Coordinator for the Peale Museum and the Washington- Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association.
Panelists | The 1619 Project for Afterschool Educators
HANNAH BERK
Pulitzer Center Staff
Hannah Berk is education manager with the Pulitzer Center. Among the programs they manage at the Center is the 1619 Afterschool Partnership opportunity. Previously, they taught middle and high school English, global issues, and creative writing in a rural community through the Chilean Ministry of Education and served as Digital Editor for Asymptote, an online journal for world literature in translation.
CARLOS SANTINI
CEO, Mizzen by Mott
As CEO of Mizzen by Mott, Carlos Santini leads and helps grow the Mizzen app as a key resource in elevating the quality of afterschool programs for young people across the United States.
For nearly two decades, Santini has worked closely with school districts, foundations, corporations, and local, state and national leaders to expand the scope and improve the quality of afterschool programming for young people. He previously served as executive vice president of programs for After-School All-Stars, a national nonprofit offering comprehensive afterschool programs for middle school youth in 19 cities across the country. Prior to that, Santini was the associate executive director for After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles, one of California’s most influential expanded learning programs. He serves on the board of the National Afterschool Association and is a featured presenter at national conferences, showcasing best practices in the expanded learning field.
Santini also has had a successful career in marketing and public relations, placing high-tech corporate clients in top-tier media outlets, including Time, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal.
Carlos Santini immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras at age 7 and credits his experience as an English language learner for paving his path towards a career in education. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he first began his work in youth development with UCLA UniCamp. He is married and has two daughters. His wife, Alejandra, has been an elementary school teacher for over 25 years and is a former nonprofit executive leader.
Saturday, Feb 19, 2022
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: On 1619 & Citizenship
1:00pm- 2:00 pm ET
Professor Martha S. Jones speaks about the development of her essay in "Citizenship" from The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story and what she is hoping readers consider as they engage with the text. Jones is a legal and cultural historian whose work examines how Black Americans have shaped the story of American democracy.
Featuring:
- Martha S. Jones | Contributor, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
PANEL: 1619 at All Age Levels
2:15pm- 3:45pm ET
1619 Education Network members will share about the planning and implementation of their units, and the key takeaways from their work with students this year. This panel includes educators engaging with students at all ages, including elementary teachers and professors working with adult learners.
Featuring:
- Abigail Henry | High School Educator
- Andy Eisen | Professor & Adult Learning Instructor
- Julie Emra | Elementary Educator
- Noncy Fields | Elementary Educator
- Pamela Cappas-Toro | Professor & Adult Learning Instructor
- Tiara Mintz | Middle & High School Educator
PANEL: Beyond the Text
4:00pm- 5:30pm ET
The 1619 Project is an expansive body of work that utilizes multimedia elements alongside the journalistic essays that make up the core. In this panel, 1619 Education Network members will speak to how they've used the archival photos, podcast episodes, and other multimedia elements of the project to deepen student learning and engagement.
Featuring:
- Christine Fryer | High School Educator
- Cortnie Belser | Elementary & Middle School Educator
- Kate Seidl | Elementary & Middle School Principal
- Victoria Jacks | Middle School Educator
- Kimberly Annece Henderson | Historical Researcher and Curator, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story Photo Archivist
INFO SESSION: The 1619 Project for Afterschool Educators
5:45pm- 6:30pm ET
Join us to explore how The 1619 Project resources can be adapted for the afterschool space. We will share a digital platform for engaging with activities and tips to support practitioners, and answer questions about our new partnership opportunity for afterschool programs.
Featuring:
- Hannah Berk | Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
- Carlos Santini | CEO, Mizzen by Mott
Sunday, Feb 20, 2022
PANEL: Differentiation, Scaffolding, and Accessibility
11:30am-1:00pm ET
Educators know that differentiation is part of good teaching. 1619 Education Network Members have worked hard this year to ensure that their students could fully understand and engage with material from the project in a meaningful way. During this panel they will share about how they chunked the text for lower grades, supported English Language Learners, scaffolded projects, and more.
Featuring:
- Debra Guachione | Middle School Educator
- Devalyn Rogers | Middle School Educator
- Hannah Nolan-Spohn | Middle School Educator
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Born on The Water
1:00pm- 2:00 pm ET
Born on the Water co-author, Renée Watson, and illustrator, Nikkolas Smith, engage in a dialogue about the development of the children's book, how they approached telling the story of 1619 for children, and what advice they have for teachers hoping to implement the text in the classroom.
Featuring:
- Renée Watson | Co-author, Born on the Water
- Nikkolas Smith | Illustrator, Born on the Water
PANEL: Teaching the Next Generation of Teachers, The 1619 Project Books in Schools of Education
2:15pm- 3:45pm ET
In fall 2021, more than 25 professors and K-12 teachers from 17 states and Washington, D.C. participated in the Penguin Random House-Pulitzer Center 1619 Project pilot program, gaining early access to two books that have grown out of the original magazine project: The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story and The 1619 Project: Born on the Water. This panel of professors from schools of education who participated in the program will explore ways that the texts have supported teacher training programs.
Featuring:
- Amanda Vickery | University of North Texas (Adult Learners)
- Jason Griffith | Penn State University (Adult Learners)
- Noreen Naseem Rodriguez | University of Colorado Boulder (Adult Learners)
- Allan Spencer | Penguin Random House
PANEL: Addressing Resistance and Opposition to Teaching 1619
4:00pm- 5:30pm ET
The 1619 Project has been at the center of the ongoing debates about how we should approach history education in schools, who should control classroom curriculum, and what it means for students to talk about issues of race in the classroom. This panel of 1619 Education Network Members will reflect on the resistance and opposition they received to teaching 1619 this year and how they were able to navigate difficult and important conversations with students, parents, and community members.
Featuring:
- Donnalie Jamnah | Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
- Joy Bess | Middle & High School Curriculum Coordinator
- Lauren Shallish | College Professor
- David Bwire | The College of New Jersey
PANEL: 1619 Education Network Q&A
5:45pm- 6:30pm ET
Interested in learning more about Pulitzer Center's 1619 Education Network? This Q&A session is catered towards educators hoping to apply to the next cohort. Learn from current Network Members and Pulitzer Center staff about the process, requirements, and experience.
Featuring:
- Donnalie Jamnah | Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
- Cyrisse Allen | Elementary Educator
- Dr. Tristian Cox | High School Educator
Saturday, Feb 19, 2022
| 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET | Keynote: Martha Jones “On 1619 & Citizenship” |
| 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm ET | Panel: “1619 at All Grade Levels” |
| 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm ET | Panel: “Beyond the Text: Exploring 1619 Project photos, broadsheet, and other supplementary resources” |
| 5:45 pm - 6:30 pm ET | Info Session: “The 1619 Project for Afterschool Educators” |
Sunday, Feb 20, 2022
| 11:30 am - 1:00 pm ET | Panel: “Differentiation, Scaffolding, and Accessibility” |
| 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET | Keynote: Renée Watson and Nikkolas Smith, “Born on the Water” |
| 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm ET | Panel: "Teaching the Next Generation of Teachers: The 1619 Project Books in Schools of Education," in partnership with Penguin Random House |
| 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm ET | Panel: “Addressing Resistance and Opposition to Teaching 1619” |
| 5:45 pm - 6:30 pm ET | Panel: "1619 Education Network Q&A" |
Apply for The 1619 Project Education Network
How can exploration of the essays, creative writing, photography, podcasts, and books that make up The 1619 Project, from The New York Times Magazine, support existing curricula, while also helping students evaluate historical research and process current events? How can authentic engagement with media literacy skills and underreported news stories on racial justice help students engage curiously, critically, and empathetically with the world?
The 1619 Project Education Network launched in 2021 as a program wherein 41 teams of educators and administrators working with K-12 classrooms and education programs for carceral facilities explored these questions over a year. The teams connected as part of Network convenings, reading groups, and collaborative planning sessions. They developed and taught standards-aligned unit plans that explored how the content and themes from 1619 support diverse curricula, and then shared their work through digital events and resources. We are so pleased to announce that applications are now open for a second cohort of the Network program!
We invite educators, administrators, content specialists, and curriculum supervisors for K-12 schools and school districts to apply for the second cohort of The 1619 Project Education Network. Educators and administrators working with adults and youths in jails, prisons, or youth detention facilities are also encouraged to apply.
As part of this paid, virtual program, a cohort of some 40 teams made up of administrators and educators will receive grants of $5,000 each to support exploration of key questions of racial justice and other pressing issues in a community that also includes award-winning journalists and the Pulitzer Center education team. Applications are due Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Explore Featured Resource Collections
RESOURCE COLLECTION
The 1619 Project: Pulitzer Center-created Resources
Here you will find reading guides, activities, and other resources created by the Pulitzer Center education team to bring The 1619 Project into your classroom.
RESOURCE GUIDES
The 1619 Project Books: Resource Guides from Penguin Random House
This resource includes three educator guides for implementing The 1619 Project books, A New Origin Story, and Born on the Water, into classrooms.
RESOURCE COLLECTION
The 1619 Project Law School Initiative
This initiative focuses on curricular resources crafted by law school students and their professors to introduce The 1619 Project and spark frank conversations about the legacy of slavery in legal education.