A Free Online Program for K-12 Teachers
March 13th, 2021 (8:30AM – 4:30PM)

This free professional learning virtual event will focus on providing teacher-centered content with practical outcomes that can easily be implemented in virtual and in-person classrooms. The program will feature extraordinary resources, Teaching Hard History, New American History, and materials that are developmentally and psychologically appropriate for younger grades (K-5th).

Participants will experience hands-on research and interactive exercises to address obstacles in teaching Anti-Racist History. There will be ample time for breakout sessions and teacher-led discussions. This program is a follow-up to previous workshops we offered in 2018 and 2019 With the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program and is open to both returning participants and new allies.

Participants who attend 3 or more sessions will receive a Certificate of Attendance which may be used to earn relicensure points. During each session, participants will use the chat as a backchannel to help process new content and share resources/ideas for best practices. Throughout the program, we ask participants to keep track of any steps they might take or have taken in their own classrooms or school divisions.  

Registration will open soon...

Agenda (tentative)

8:30 - 8:45        

Registration - Zoom opens, Participants enter, add name/grade level/location in the chat. (opening music/Fralin image on screen)

8:45 - 9:00       

Art & Grounded Looking (AGL)
Use a work of art as an anchor to ground your learning experience in mindful awareness. Facilitated by Fralin Museum of Art educators, we’ll begin the morning and afternoon sessions with a series of prompts that support observation, active listening, and self-reflection.

9:00 - 9:15     

Opening Remarks 

9:15 - 9:45      

Let’s Go! -- Breakouts led by teachers selected in advance to address expectations/concerns. Each group will have a question that they work through together.

9:45 - 10:30  

“Virginia, We Need to Talk”

Michelle Cottrell-Williams & Antoinette Dempsey-Waters, History Educators, Arlington Co. Public Schools

10:30 - 10:45  

Reflective Journaling

10:45 - 11:30  

“Developmental Readiness for Culturally Responsive/Antiracist/Hard History" 

Johari Harris, University of Virginia

11:30 - 11:45  

Trivia Break -- An interactive group exercise 

11:45 - 12:45  

"Complicating Slavery: Adding the Indigenous Experience"

Maureen Costello, former director of SPLC’s Teaching Tolerance, Executive Director of the Center for Antiracist Education (CARE)

12:45 - 1:30    

 Lunch

1:30

Remarks from UVA Executive Vice President and Provost Liz Magill

1:40 - 2:00  

Art & Grounded Looking (AGL)
Use a work of art as an anchor to ground your learning experience in mindful awareness. 

2:00 - 2:45        

“Teaching The Truth: Implementing the Work of The African American History Education Commission” in the Classroom

Ed Ayers & Annie Evans, New American History

2:45 - 3:30

 “Place-Based Antiracist Learning Resources and Activities”

Justin Reid, Virginia Humanities

Meredith Howard, Richmond Public Schools

Chris Mathews, Norfolk Public Schools

3:30 - 4:30      

Action Steps for Moving Forward: a Teacher-Led Discussion -- At the start of the session, we asked teachers/participants to keep track of steps they might or have taken in their own classrooms or school in response to this material.  We will close the program by listening to these reflections and contributions.