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Facing History and Ourselves

PEOPLE MAKE CHOICES. CHOICES MAKE HISTORY.
Launched in 2008 with 12 schools, today, the Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) Partner Schools Network includes over 100 schools and reaches over 40,000 students.
As part of this network, Laurel embraces Facing History's core themes as foundational to the School's mission and weaves Facing History content and teaching strategies throughout the school: in classes, advisory groups, faculty meetings, and school community activities.
"Celebrating 20 years of Facing History and Ourselves in Cleveland" video courtesy of Facing History and Ourselves.

Partnership

Laurel School’s collaboration with Facing History and Ourselves impacts academic courses at many grade levels. Students begin to explore concepts of place, identity and community in the Fourth Grade and deepen their investigation into these topics as they progress into Middle School.

In Fifth Grade, girls learn to use the Facing History protocols including identity mapping and social contracting. In later years, units in English and social studies on topics such as the Holocaust and the Cultural Revolution in Seventh Grade and Reconstruction and Civil Rights in the Eighth Grade call on students to identify sources of injustice. Research and class projects encourage girls to engage in broader community discussions on these topics.

In the Upper School, courses that draw on Facing History lessons and materials include required classes in English and history, seminars and electives. Facing History resources are used in semester-long courses that focus on such subjects as South African history, genocide, and urban American culture since the 1920s. In these classes, students must confront challenging topics, such as prejudice, discrimination and violence.

More about the Laurel and Facing History partnership is detailed here on the Facing History and Ourselves website.

Questions?

Laurel's Facing History and Ourselves Liaison is Kimberley Butler. She can be reached at kButler@LaurelSchool.org and 216-455-3168.
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