Inspired Teaching in proud to collaborate with Teaching for Change, The Washington Teachers’ Union, DC area educators and community members to implement the first DC Area Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools from February 5-10. This week of action builds on the momentum of National Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools campaign to promote a set of local and national demands focused on improving the school experience for students of color.
As educators and community members, we recognize the urgent need to help young people examine issues of racism, discrimination, and xenophobia that persist in their daily lives. To best prepare children to thrive, civic engagement must be at the center of the classroom. The Week of Action will equip educators, students, and community members with resources to build social justice issues in the classrooms and communities.
During the week, educators will implement Black Lives Matter curriculum designed for pre-K through 12th grade classrooms. Resources for educators to incorporate into their classrooms include recommended lesson plans, films, books, and readings. Educators are encouraged to adapt the curriculum and resources to best serve their classroom communities and civically engage their students. In the evenings, there will be events for educators, students, stakeholders, and community members, to participate in the week of action and explore issues of racial and social justice that relate to the Movement for Black Lives.
Over 115 institutions are endorsing and participating in the week of action, including The Washington Teachers’ Union, DCPS office of Secondary Learning, and local universities. Whether you are an organization, an educator, or a community member, there are many ways to get involved, including signing up to support the Week of action, attending events, participating in #DCschoolsBLM social media, and spreading the word.
The Black Lives Matter Week of Action is just the beginning. In pursuit of our mission to train Inspired Teachers who actively engage their students as empathetic, critical thinkers, we are deeply committed to enable teachers to bring social justice into the classroom. We are honored to partner with teachers as the leverage point for change in the education system and empower them to be changemakers who teach their students to imagine and advocate for a more just society.