Announcing "The 1619 Project" Education Network

Apply to The 1619 Project Education Network

How can exploration of the essays, creative writing, photography, and podcasts that make up The 1619 Project from The New York Times Magazine support existing curricula, while also helping students evaluate historical research and process current events? How can authentic engagement with media literacy skills and underreported news stories on racial justice help students engage curiously, critically, and empathetically with the world?

After hearing from thousands of educators nationwide about their enthusiasm for bringing The 1619 Project and our curriculum into classrooms, as well as the need for support and networking opportunities, the Pulitzer Center is pleased to announce an exciting initiative: The 1619 Project Education Network.

We invite educators, administrators, content specialists, and curriculum supervisors for K-12 schools and school districts to apply for the inaugural cohort of The 1619 Project Education Network. Educators and administrators working with adults and youth in jails, prisons, or youth detention facilities are also encouraged to apply.

As part of this paid, virtual program, a cohort of 40 education professionals will receive grants of $5,000 each to support exploration of key questions of racial justice and other pressing issues in a community that also includes award-winning journalists and the Pulitzer Center education team.

Over the course of 2021, network members will…

• Develop standards-aligned units that engage students in The 1619 Project, and other journalism and historical sources, to strengthen connections to existing curricula, practice media literacy skills, and build empathy.
• Manage the implementation and evaluation of units by at least two educators in multiple classes.
• Share their projects publicly through the Pulitzer Center’s online lesson library and virtual professional development programs.
• Devise plans for revising and expanding use of their units in 2022.
• Actively participate in quarterly network meetings to share progress, evaluate lessons learned, and provide support and feedback for other members.

Click here to apply! Applications are due Monday, March 15, 2021.

Cohort participants will receive…

• A $5,000 grant to support curriculum development and other costs. ($2,500 after the network orientation on April 10, 2021 and $2,500 upon receipt of grant deliverables outlined below)
• Access to professional development workshops led by journalists, scholars, and Center staff.
• Access to a virtual portal that shares curriculum, showcases student work, and provides methods for participants to network and collaborate.

If you have questions after reading the eligibility requirements and network details below, please reach out to us at 1619@pulitzercenter.org. For more information about The 1619 Project from The New York Times Magazine, click here.

The Pulitzer Center seeks to forward diversity, equity, and inclusion through our programs and partnerships. Please review our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement for more information on our commitments. Individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds, and/or those working with students from historically marginalized backgrounds, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Examining Essays from The 1619 Project with Nikole Hannah-Jones

The 1619 Project Education Network: Eligibility Criteria

In order to meet the goals above, each application should outline a plan that includes at least one classroom educator, and the support of at least one school administrator and/or school, district, regional, or state content specialist/curriculum supervisor in order to facilitate unit implementation in multiple classes.

 The following education professionals are invited to apply:

• Classroom teachers and administrators (grades K–12) working in public, charter, independent, and alternative schools in the United States and U.S. territories. 
• District, region, and state content specialists or curriculum supervisors for public, charter, independent, and alternative schools in the United States and U.S. territories  
• Educators and administrators working with adults and youth in jails, prisons, or youth detention facilities.

All educators, administrators, and/or school, district, regional, or state content specialist/curriculum supervisors involved in each applicant’s plan will be invited to network meetings and professional development opportunities. The primary contact for the application will be responsible for the submission of all deliverables, and will be the direct recipient of grant funds.

Because all professional development and cohort networking sessions will be held virtually, applicants must have stable internet access and a computer with a webcam and microphone.

The 1619 Project: Activities for Student Engagement

The 1619 Project Education Network: Timeline and Requirements

The 1619 Project Education Network will begin with a virtual orientation on Saturday, April 10, 2021 from 11:00 am–3:00pm EST. The program will conclude in February 2022 with a conference hosted by the Pulitzer Center and The New York Times Magazine, which will celebrate members’ work and analyze ways that members can build on their work in 2022.

Members are required to join three additional Saturday sessions in 2021 for professional development and networking. Each four-hour session will include seminars with award-winning journalists and opportunities for peer feedback. All sessions will be held live via Zoom.

By January 14, 2022, each team will have…

1. Crafted and shared at least one standards-aligned unit that engages students from multiple classes in The 1619 Project, and other journalism and historical sources, to strengthen connections to existing curricula, practice media literacy skills, and build empathy. (Due August 16, 2021)
2. Facilitated their unit(s) in multiple classes with the support of at least two educators
3. Evaluated students' work, and provided documentation of their unit(s) in the form of student work, lesson plans, teaching materials, evaluation materials, and/or images and video .
4. Shared plans for revising and expanding use of their units in 2022.

Members’ work will be shared on the Pulitzer Center’s website, where they can be accessed for free by educators worldwide. Fellows may also have the opportunity to participate in teacher professional development webinars and/or conference presentations. Below are the key program dates, and a timeline for unit design and implementation.

The 1619 Project Education Network Key Dates

• Saturday, April 10, 2021: Network orientation
• June 2021: Network convening 
• Monday, August 16, 2021: Unit(s) due
• September 2021: Network convening 
• December 2021: Network convening 
• January 14, 2022: Revised unit draft(s), evidence of unit implementation, evidence of unit evaluation, and initial plans for unit expansion in 2022 due
• February 2022: Virtual celebration conference/sharing

Click here to apply for The 1619 Project Education Network. Applications are due Monday, March 15, 2021.

If you have additional questions, please contact us by emailing 1619@pulitzercenter.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Pulitzer Center's national education work on The 1619 Project is a partnership with the journalists and editors behind this landmark New York Times Magazine initiative. We are grateful to the foundations and individuals who have joined this effort, with primary support from Facebook. Other donors include Humanity United, the Trellis Fund, the Art for Justice Fund, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

The 1619 Project Education Network Launch Event

Announcement Event, February 4 at 5:00pm EST

The Pulitzer Center education team will announce the call for applications to join The 1619 Project Education Network, introducing The 1619 Project and our curricular materials and explaining how the network will function.

Teaching The 1619 Project: Educators Share, Week of February 8 (date and time will be announced this week)

Nikole Hannah-Jones and the Pulitzer Center education team will moderate a discussion with teachers and administrators on their experience developing curricula and teaching The 1619 Project over the past year.

Exploring The 1619 Project Essays, February 18 at 5:00pm EST

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, will open this session on exploring some key educational resources in The 1619 Project. Nikole Hannah-Jones and two other contributors will discuss their work and examine why it is important for educators to to engage with the material.

Teaching Black History to Elementary and Middle School Students, February 25 at 5:00pm EST

Dr. LaGarrett King, director of the Carter Center at the University of Missouri School of Education, in conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones, will share insights on teaching Black history to younger students.

In February and March, the Pulitzer Center is organizing launch events for The 1619 Project Law School Initiative. This initiative focuses on curricular resources crafted by law school students and their professors to introduce The 1619 Project and spark frank conversations about the legacy of slavery in legal education. Our purpose with this work is to make the case that an interdisciplinary approach to legal studies that draws upon sobering histories, journalism, and public discourse creates better lawyers and a more just society. The initiative is organized by the Pulitzer Center, Howard University Law School, University of Miami Law School, and the Squire Patton Boggs Foundation Deans’ Circle.

Republished with permission fro the Pulitzer Center.