Event
Local Letters for Global Change: Chicago Teacher Workshops
Country:
Event Date:
October 21, 2025 | 5:00 PM TO 6:30 PM CDT
How can news stories empower students to imagine solutions to global problems?
Join the Pulitzer Center for in-person workshops that introduce the Local Letters for Global Change student writing contest. Led by veteran CPS educators, the workshops will take place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, and Tuesday, October 21.
What is Local Letters for Global Change?
Local Letters for Global Change is a writing contest for K-12 students. After exploring Pulitzer Center-supported reporting on an underreported global issue, students write a letter to a local elected representative highlighting the importance of the issue covered in the reporting and proposing solutions relevant to their local community. Through this contest, students practice global citizenship, civic action, and persuasive writing while developing letters that can have real-world impact.
Workshop for Chicago teachers:
This in-person opportunity is designed for teachers interested in previewing the Local Letters workshop and facilitating it in their own classrooms. Participants will explore and analyze Pulitzer Center reporting, make local connections to global issues, and propose potential solutions. Participants will explore the free workshop materials, including our graphic organizers, our leveled and curated list of reporting, rubrics, and letters written by previous contest winners.
This workshop will be facilitated by Chicago Public School teachers and Pulitzer Center Teaching Fellows. Participants will receive ISBE professional development credit for attending.
Workshop Date(s) & Time(s):
Register here to attend either of these free, in-person workshops:
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Saturday, October 18, 2025, 10:00-11:30am at Bronzeville Classical Elementary
About the facilitator: Nathan Ramin is a social studies teacher at Ellen Mitchell Elementary in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, where his courses focus on U.S. history, global issues, and civics. Ramin is a National Board Certified Teacher and completed a 2018 Fulbright Fellowship to Aotearoa New Zealand. Nate is a 2023-2024 Pulitzer Center Teaching Fellow and has led Local Letters workshops for his students for seven years.
This workshop is made possible with the support of Brittany Goldsby, a Teaching and Learning Department Gifted Program Specialist at Chicago Public Schools.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 5:00-6:30pm at Edgar Allan Poe Elementary
About the facilitator: Comfort Agboola is an award-winning veteran educator, consultant, and writer committed to advancing literacy, equity, and teacher leadership. She teaches middle school English Language Arts at Poe Classical School in Chicago’s historic Pullman neighborhood and serves as the 2025 Cook County Co-Regional Teacher of the Year. A 2023 Milken Educator Award recipient and 2020-2021 Pulitzer Center Teaching Fellow, Comfort has over a decade of experience designing curriculum, mentoring educators, and fostering restorative school cultures. As founder of Lit and Love, LLC, she provides professional development, coaching, and literacy enrichment through initiatives such as The Teachers’ Lounge. Comfort is also a Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellow and Chair of the Nominating Committee for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
This workshop is open to education professionals supporting Chicago students. Eligible participants include classroom teachers, administrators, and content specialists supporting Chicago public and public charter schools; out-of-school-time program staff and administrators; and educators supporting programming for youth in carceral facilities.
For any questions, please contact Education Manager Jaya Mukherjee at [email protected].