Helping classrooms face the world

"Facing History's work is based on the premise that we need to — and can— teach civic responsibility, tolerance, and social action to young people, as a way of fostering moral adulthood. If we do not educate students for dignity and equity, then we have failed both them and ourselves."

This organization actually engages the darker side of human affairs in classrooms and communities through innovative, incorporated history lessons. Their mission is grounded in participatory pedagogy that links the individual to their world and shared global history. They have developed original curriculum which is used in more than 120 countries by over 50,000 educators. Their teaching models use a human-based approach and engage issues of identity in learning how to link the past with the present, thus gaining forethought for the future.

It is of essence that youth are given the information they need to make the right choices for a peaceful future for all people. This will require dialogue, the capacity to face oneself, and bitter lessons of history.

"We all have these elements within us the ability to be a Perpetrator, bystander or hero.
This class says you have have a choice. It prepares you to do the right thing.
It teaches us to acknowledge the suffering of others and do all we can to stop the violence that causes such suffering. That's all you can ask of yourself."

-Student, Facing History and Ourselves

Their website provides a fount of resources for teachers.