Education has always been at the core of The HistoryMakers mission and vision. Through combining the power of storytelling and traditional oral history with state of the art technological innovation, The HistoryMakers has positioned itself as a unique resource for education at all levels: K12, Higher Education, and Lifelong Learning.
To this end, The HistoryMakers has developed a suite of educational programming and materials, as well as a unique learning tool in The HistoryMakers Digital Archives that can engage people of all ages and backgrounds, and connect their own experiences with those of the HistoryMaker they are watching or studying. In this way, The HistoryMakers is able to both aid in identity formation for youth, but also to push our nation towards becoming a more culturally equitable society, where all people’s histories are equally celebrated, and where students from all demographics can find relevant career models and pathways to success.
The HistoryMakers Digital Archive has been proven a powerful tool in ensuring the improvement of U.S. education, and in driving the education landscape to change. It is a truly innovative resource, and as more interviews are added, its depth and scope only continues to grow, making it an increasingly invaluable asset to teachers and students alike. As an educational tool aligned with Common Core standards, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive supports the current trends in education, but also engages students in a unique way. Students who use the Digital Archive feel differently about learning, and even about school.
New Curriculum Units
In this new digital age, it is important that education materials adapt to the times and constantly develop new methods of interaction and engagement that will continue to be relevant and that can be made widely accessible. New York Life provided a major grant to The HistoryMakers to develop curriculum based on the Digital Archives. The new curriculum emphasizes social emotional development as well as academic skills.
