Paid Chicago Teacher Workshop: The Legacy of Slavery & The 1619 Project

How do I engage with Black history in the United States in a significant way? What resources can I use to inspire meaningful discourse and reflection about democracy and the lasting legacy of slavery? How can I help students leverage history to analyze contemporary racial justice news stories? 

In this half-day professional development hosted by the Pulitzer Center, up to 25 K-12 educators and administrators supporting Chicago students will engage with the questions above while connecting with the themes and questions explored in The 1619 Project: a collection of resources from The New York Times Magazine that aim to reframe U.S. history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the center of our national narrative.

The workshop will center the teacher as the learner as participants explore the primary sources, analytical essays, and creative works from The 1619 Project, as well as the library of curricular resources created by teachers and students across the country as part of The 1619 Project Education Network. Participants will also engage with a Pulitzer Center journalist who has reported on racial justice and practice employing media literacy questions to Pulitzer Center reporting that centers Black perspectives, histories and stories. By the end of the session, participants will discuss how the themes and resources from The 1619 Project connect to issues that matter to students and their families, share best practices for cultivating psychologically safe classrooms for engaging with this academically rigorous work, and identify ways to connect resources and strategies from the workshop to their classes.

Who is eligible: This opportunity is available to education professionals supporting Chicago students who are new to The 1619 Project and/or the library of resources created by the Pulitzer Center to access the project. 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.

Where: To be determined by February 10, 2025.

When: Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm CST. Breakfast will be included.

Stipend: Each participating educator will receive a $50 stipend for attending, engaging, and completing a post-workshop survey.

Application: This opportunity will be limited to a select group of up to 25 participants. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis until Monday, February 10, 2025. For any questions, please email [email protected]

**Please note, after some feedback, we are not requiring teachers to submit resumes. If you do have a LinkedIn profile or a  page on your school's website, please include it in your application where it is appropriate.