LGBTQ History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. In the United States and other countries, it is celebrated in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day on the 11th of October and to commemorate the first and second marches on Washington in 1979 and 1987 for LGBT rights. Below are resources to learn more:

LGBTQ History Month Website

LGBTQ+ History - GLSEN

UnErasing LGBTQ History and Identities: A Podcast- History UnErased

Filipino American History Month (FAHM) is celebrated in October to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States. The month was established in 1992 by the Filipino American National Historical Society to commemorate the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States on October 18, 1587. In 2009, the U.S. Congress officially recognized October as FAHM after years of advocacy by organizations and individuals. Below are resources to learn more:

Smithsonian Learning Lab Filipino American Resources

The Filipino Story

Filipinas Heritage Library

Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October, and is an official city and state holiday in various localities. This year it calls on October 14. We encourage educators to use this opportunity to engage in the John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum.

In 2015, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 5433 modifying the original 2005 legislation, now requiring the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington state or other tribally-developed curriculum be taught in all schools.  In 2024, the Legislature passed House Bill 1879 naming the curriculum in honor of John McCoy (lulilaš). The use of the John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum has been endorsed by all 29 federally recognized tribes. Below are other resources to learn more:

Zinn Education Project - Indigenous Peoples' Day Resources

National Education Association - Resources for Teaching About Indigenous Peoples

The annual U.S. Media Literacy Week is hosted by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) this year October 24-28. The mission is to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education all across the country. U.S. Media Literacy Week calls attention to media literacy education by bringing together hundreds of partners for events and activities around the country. The theme for U.S. Media Literacy Week celebrates one of the five components of media literacy’s definition each day of Media Literacy Week: Access, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, and Act.

Click here to learn more

Calling All Social Studies Students!

Teachers, challenge your students to bring the questions and get answers on issues they care about by participating in

On The Issues - Election Edition

With the help of supporting study guides, students research, and submit questions for the chance to contribute in Q&As with each of the candidates in four of this year’s Statewide races.   

Voter Action - 3 step process to informed voting!

STEP 1: STUDENTS DO THE RESEARCH: Before meeting with an elected official, it is important to have context for your questions. Look at the topics, pick one or two topics and examine the resources within that topic. 

STEP 2: FORMAT YOUR QUESTION: Follow this format when writing your question: 

STEP 3: SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION: Click here for instructions: Voter Action 

NOTE: Video questions are due by the cutoff by Saturday, October 12th at 11pm.

Teachers, Classroom toolkits and free ‘I Voted’ stickers are now available! We invite you to bookmark the Mock Election webpage (below). Choose the regular ballot featuring US Presidential and State Executive candidates, and an energy initiative, or the alternate ballot with favorite State Cryptids and cell phone usage in classrooms.

When you order free ‘I Voted’ stickers from us, you’ll be sent a quick, 2-minute web form to highlight your classroom on the statewide Mock Election dashboard. This year, classes will see how their statistics measure up to last year and understand in real time how elections may have different participation rates.

Finally, invite us to your classroom! Request a virtual or in-person presentation from the Secretary of State’s Elections Division. Contact us at electionsoutreach@sos.wa.gov. This year, we’re planning a small tour of central and eastern Washington at the end of October, so be sure to contact us if you’re interested!

Visit the Mock Election page here for more information: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/mock/about-student-mock-election.aspx

The 21st year of C-SPAN’s StudentCam documentary competition for middle and high school students is officially underway - and we’re inviting YOU and YOUR STUDENTS to join in on the fun! Students from grades 6-12 can participate in the competition, and can do so as part of any subject area class, as an extra credit or enrichment activity, or on their own accord. 

In this presidential election year, our theme is: Your Message to the President? What issue is most important to you or your community? Examine your selected topic from multiple perspectives and assess what action(s) the president should take after Inauguration Day. With the presidential election this November, StudentCam provides an opportunity and platform for students to tell us, our viewers, and elected officials around the country about the issues that are important to them and their generation.

If you would like free printed copies of our 12" x 18" StudentCam 2025 poster to display in your classroom and around your school, please complete this Google form with your preferred postal address and the number of posters you would like for us to send. We'd love to kick off the competition with your students by dropping in to your class via Zoom or Google Meet to share tips & resources, and answer their questions. We also have a step-by-step lesson to guide you through the requirements and various aspects of the competition.

Have your own questions you'd like answered? Drop us a line by emailing us anytime at Educate@C-SPAN.org. We stand ready to help and would love to see you and your students participate this year! The submission deadline for all entries is Monday, January 20th, 2025.

Form Package #969

The Kip Tokuda Memorial Civil Liberties Public Education Program is created to do one or both of the following:

1. Educate the public regarding the history and the lessons of the World War II exclusion, removal, and detention of persons of Japanese ancestry through the development, coordination, and distribution of new educational materials and the development of curriculum materials to complement and augment resources currently available on this subject matter; and

2. Develop videos, plays, presentations, speaker bureaus, and exhibitions for presentation to elementary schools, secondary schools, community colleges, and to other interested parties.

Apply for this grant opportunity and learn more through EGMS

FP #969 Application Due Date: October, 18, 2024. 11:59pm.

Questions? Contact: Andrew Miller, Associate Director of Social Studies. andrew.miller@k12.wa.us

Form Package #892

The civic education travel grant program is created to provide travel grants to students participating in statewide, regional, or international civic education competitions or events. Applications for this grant are accepted from districts. As such, educator-level applicants will need to coordinate with their school district EGMS account-holder to submit their application.

Apply for this grant opportunity and learn more through EGMS

FP #892 Application Due Date: December, 5, 2024. 11:59pm

Questions? Contact Hannah Tofte.

The Washington State Civic Learning Council has created a scholarship program to provide financial grants and support to educators and students participating in high-quality civic education programs at the national, state, tribal and local government level. 

Grants will generally be awarded between the range of $250 to $1000. Grants will be considered in excess of these amounts, contingent on availability of funds and strength of application. Eligibility is open for a wide array of personnel involved in education, including educators, leaders of after-school programs, parent-teacher associations, home school organizations, individual students, nonprofits, and community organizations.

For more information and a link to the application, click here.

The Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation is an organization that provides grants for educators to teach anti-hate initiatives, respect, and kindness to students nationwide through Holocaust education. The grant allows educators to teach their students about the Holocaust – empowering them to learn how the lessons of the past can lead to kindness, respect, and inclusion in our society today. Each grant is capped at $1,000. The grant can be used to purchase educational materials, such as books for the classroom; help fund experiences, such as subsidizing the cost of transportation to a museum; help cover speaker fees for survivor speakers; or to bring programming into the school, such as traveling museum exhibits. The grant application portal is now open! Teachers who teach 4th to 12th grade are eligible to apply.

To be added to their list and be notified when the grant portal opens, please email ann@mshefoundation.org.

OSPI is excited to host a set of trainings and professional learning experiences to support Civic Education in Washington State. The goal of these offerings is to increase teacher's knowledge and skills to effectively engage students in civics education, and ensure students have a basic understand of how governments work and know their rights and responsibilities to be prepared to exercise them. These trainings are free to attend and include clock hours. 

1. Improving Civic Discourse: Bring local politics into your classroom with TVW. Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 from 4-5pm. Click here to register on pdEnroller.
2. What Are You Talking About? Defining Terms in Media Literacy with Lesley James, OSPI Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship. Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 from 4-5pm. Click here to register on pdEnroller.
3. Climate Integration and Civic Action with Lori Henrickson, OSPI Climate Science Integration. Monday Oct 28, 2024 from 4-5pm. Click here to register on pdEnroller. 

Take advantage of these engaging opportunities to learn more about the many ways to engage in civic education. If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Miller, the Associate Director of Social Studies at andrew.miller@k12.wa.us. 

WSCSS is thrilled to gather at Chinook Middle School on October 12, 2024 for a day filled with inspiring sessions, engaging discussions, and the opportunity to connect with fellow educators who share your passion for social studies. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the field, this conference promises to be a valuable experience.

Theme: This year's theme is "Civil Discourse in the Classroom: Cultivating Respectful Dialogue." As educators, fostering an environment where civil discourse thrives is more important than ever, especially in light of the upcoming election season. Choose from more than 15 dynamic learning sessions that will provide valuable learning you can take back to your classroom.

Benefits:

• Light Breakfast & Lunch
• 15+ Sessions – WSCSS Fall Presenters & Sessions
• Earn up to 6 Clock Hours – many earn CCDEI clock hours
• Dedicated Day of courses for Pre-service Teachers
• Full Day of Courses to support K-12 Instruction

Cost: $150 – Educators & $50 for Pre-Service Teachers

Click here to learn more and register!

The Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Community of Practice monthly Zoom meetings are open to any K–12 educators, with any level of experience, who are interested in sharing ideas with other educators. Join facilitator Mark Ray, who will support participants in learning from each other, engaging in discussions, and sharing questions, challenges, and solutions. To earn free clock hours for time spent in Zoom sessions, register on pdEnroller.

Dates and times: Once a month on Thursdays, starting October 17, 5:00–6:00 pm, during the 2024–25 school year.

Questions? Contact Lesley James, OSPI Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Program Supervisor, lesley.james@k12.wa.us. For more news about K–12 Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship instruction in Washington State, visit the website or subscribe to the monthly update.

The Washington OER Hub is an online library of free, high-quality K–12 learning and teaching materials created by and curated for Washington educators. OER is offering a webinar to learn more. During this one hour session, participants will:

• Review the Washington OER Hub
• Learn how to search for, save, and adapt, grade-specific, standards-aligned, resources
• Explore some new resource highlights for this school year

Register on pdEnroller for one of the sessions using the links below. One clock hour is provided.

• Tuesday, October 15, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Wednesday, October 23, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Wednesday, October 30, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

In this immersive 3-day workshop hosted by the Holocaust Center for Humanity and Denso, following an introductory Zoom presentation by Naomi Kawamura on November 7th open to all who are interested, participants will explore the dynamics of cultural memory, what influences our collective understanding of history, and how memory is shaped by diverse experiences, perspectives, and contexts. There are follow-up, in-person workshops on November 8, 9 and 10. Participants will delve into the memorialization of the Holocaust and the Japanese American wartime incarceration to explore how and why different communities remember the past, how memory can contribute to individual and group identities, the role of museums, memorials, and archives in preserving and transmitting memory, and the intersections of historical traumas. 

This program is open to the public, with priority consideration given to educators for the in-person component as space is limited. Washington state teachers will earn one clock hour for attendance at the Zoom presentation on November 7th, and up to 18 hours for participation in the workshop.

Click here to register and learn more. In addition, you can learn more about free PD opportunities from the Holocaust Center for Humanity by clicking here.