Facing History & Ourselves Professional Development

Facing History & Ourselves is a globally recognised nonprofit organisation that provides educators with professional development designed to help them teach about historical and contemporary issues of injustice, prejudice, and civic responsibility in ways that develop students' critical thinking, empathy, and moral courage. Founded in 1976, the organisation has trained tens of thousands of teachers across the United States, Canada, and internationally, equipping them with curriculum resources, pedagogical strategies, and ongoing support to lead meaningful classroom conversations about some of humanity's most challenging chapters — from the Holocaust and the American civil rights movement to contemporary issues of identity, belonging, and democratic participation. Facing History's professional learning model goes well beyond one-off workshops. Educators who participate receive certificates of completion with creditable PD hours, continuing coaching and support from dedicated Programme Associates, access to an extensive online resource library of unit plans, lesson plans, study guides, and multimedia resources, and membership in a global educator network. The organisation's approach integrates social-emotional learning, equity, and civic education into a comprehensive professional learning framework that helps teachers create classroom environments where students can examine their own assumptions, understand the consequences of indifference and hatred, and develop the sense of agency needed to be active, ethical participants in their communities.