Passover, or “Pesach” in Hebrew, is one of the three pilgrimage festivals practiced in Judaism. This holiday celebrates the story of how God led the Israelites out of Egypt and freed them from slavery. This year, Passover begins before sundown on Saturday, April 12, 2025, and ends after nightfall on April 20, 2025. The idea of Passover highlights a moment in this story when Israelites marked their doors with lamb’s blood, so that the angel of death would pass over their house and not take their first-born child. Jewish families often hold a “Passover Seder”, a night filled with ritualistic prayer, food, song, and storytelling, during the first or second night of Passover. See the links below to learn more:

Passover (Pesach) History – My Jewish Learning

Passover – Britannica

Holy week is the week that commemorates Jesus Christ’s last week on Earth and all the significant events that occurred during that week. This year, Holy week occurs Sunday, April 13, 2025 through Sunday, April 10, 2025. Christians remember each of these events through the recognition and celebration of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. This is the most sacred time of year for Christians. 

Holy Week - Britannica

• Capitol Classroom+ your week-by-week guide through the Legislative Session.
• The steps of the process explained.
• Learn how the structures of government create and implement policy.
• Get Timely lesson plans

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All of Teach With TVW's programs are FREE, and center on the power of engagement at the State and local level while easily meeting the WA C3 standards for middle and high school civics, history and politics.

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Do you know an outstanding educator? The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is seeking 2025 National History Teacher of the Year nominations.

Each year they recognize first-rate K–12 teachers—from rural and urban districts, public and independent schools, teaching a wide variety of subjects—who find creative ways to bring history to life in their classrooms.

The nomination process is fast, easy, and free. Learn more and nominate a teacher at gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. The nomination deadline for this year's award is April 30, 2025. 

In celebration of Constitution Day on September 17 and Law Day on May 1, the Federal Judges Association (FJA) has created an annual “Civics Challenge.” Offered to high-school students across the country, the FJA seeks to increase civic engagement, knowledge of United States history and government, and appreciation for our country’s citizenship process.

Students in grades 9 through 12 will have the opportunity to take the Civics Test given to individuals seeking U.S. citizenship. The Civics Test is administered to applicants who apply for U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process and is one of the statutory requirements for naturalizing. Applicants must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, principles, and form of government of the United States.

Click here for more information. 

Submissions due before 5 p.m. ET on April 16, 2025

America's Field Trip is back! Students in grades 3-12 are invited to participate in this year's contest by sharing their perspective about what America's means to them. Winners will receive an unforgettable field trip experience to one of our nation's most iconic, historic, or cultural sites. Written or original artwork answering the question "What does America mean to you" are now being accepted; the deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. (ET) on April 16, 2025.

America's Field Trip - America250

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.

Learn Civics! Do Civics! Civic Action Project for a Healthy Democracy

Providing students with content-related knowledge is the primary goal of classroom instruction, but what good is this knowledge if students cannot put it to use? Join us June 5, 2025 from 8am-4pm for a free interactive session featuring the six proven practices for civic learning along with practical tips for connecting classroom content to meaningful civic experiences that enable all students to examine real-world issues that are important to their daily lives. Participants will receive an overview of the instructional materials, project planners, civic action toolkit, and additional online resources designed to culminate in civic action projects that satisfy or exceed traditional service-learning requirements. Teachers that attend this session will:

• Receive an overview and free access to the online Civic Action Project (aka CAP) featuring the six proven practices for civic learning.
• Learn practical tips for integrating relevant civic engagement projects into social studies classrooms.
• Review exemplary student projects and understand how the CAP curriculum helps students satisfy district or state service requirements.

Logistics:

• When - June 5, 2025 from 8am-4pm
• Where - Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101, 4202 S. Regal, Spokane, WA 99223
• Participants can earn up to 7 clock hours (Equity clock hours available)
• Continental breakfast and lunch are provided
• Financial support available to anyone needing a teacher substitute

Click here to register. Registration is capped at 40 participants, and closes April 14, 2025.

If you have any questions, contact Andrew Miller: andrew.miller@k12.wa.us 

Registration is open for the 2025 Belfer National Conference for Holocaust Education, taking place June 23-25. At this free, virtual professional learning conference, educators will explore the latest practices in accurate, meaningful teaching about the Holocaust with Museum historians and educators.  Find new sessions that demonstrate how to integrate Holocaust history into both ELA and social studies instruction.

• Learn how to use classroom resources, find inspiration in new ideas, and grow with peers dedicated to teaching about the Holocaust.
• Join concise sessions that offer instructional strategies paired with historically accurate, classroom-ready resources based on the Museum’s extensive collection.
• Learn from the Museum’s historians and educators through live, interactive sessions, or watch recordings on demand at your convenience.
• Engage with Museum Teacher Fellows, experienced educators who offer practical advice on strategies and tools for your classroom.
• Connect in real time with a community of educators dedicated to teaching and learning about the Holocaust.
• Share the experience and use discussion guides to collaborate with educators in your area.

Don’t forget, educators earn 24 certified professional development hours in most states, receive free resources, and get streamlined access to registration, live sessions, and on-demand viewing through a new, virtual conference platform. Register Now at ushmm.org/2025BelferLeaders

Now in its eighteenth session, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in collaboration with the Seattle University School of Law is offering teachers grade 5-12 a unique opportunity to learn about the U.S. Constitution, federal judiciary, and issues of civil rights, federal-state courts, and federal criminal law. The institute is highly interactive.

Teachers will attend actual proceedings, as well as be questioned in a simulated jury selection process. Judges who hear the cases you read about in the news will be faculty along with long-term law-related education expert Margaret Fisher to help translate this content into lessons immediately usable in the classroom.

Eligible applicants: Forty teachers grades 5-12 teaching in any of 19 western counties of Washington who did not participate in a prior Judicial Institute.

Dates and times: Program starts at 8 a.m. on June 30 and ends on July 2 at 3 p.m. A group dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

Location: U.S. District Court, 700 Stewart St., 19^th floor, Seattle, WA 98101.

Clock hours: 23 clock hours available from Seattle University School of Law at no cost to teachers.

Cost: No registration fee, breakfasts and lunches provided on June 1-July 2, group dinner provided on July 2, parking is provided, and hotel rooms at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seattle are provided for the nights of June 29, 30 and July 1, 2025. Change from past years: single occupancy rooms are available for all participants at no cost.

Applications are available on Google forms. (https://forms.gle/uCmWCTrXo3EwRHtv5)

Selection: Based on time of application and geographic diversity.

More information: Margaret Fisher, Seattle University School of Law, fisherm2@seattleu.edu or 206-501-7963.