Screentime That’s Good for Students and Classrooms: Filmfest 2023

In April 2023, Teaching for Change partnered with Filmfest DC: The Washington, DC, International Film Festival for a twelfth year to bring filmmakers into D.C. classrooms to share some of their films.

Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerJune 16, 2023DC, DCPS, Elementary, Filmfest, High School, Kimberly Ellis, Middle School, SY22, Vanessa Williams, ArtsEducation, Allison Acosta

Self-Portraits and Braiding in Art at Seaton ES

Athena Kopsidas, art teacher at Seaton ES (DCPS), led students through projects that incorporated books and art during the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.

Teaching Stories, Black Lives Matter at SchoolAllison AcostaMarch 6, 2023DC, DCPS, Early childhood, Elementary, ArtsEducation, Diversity, Empathy

Sip N Paint at Freedom HS

Using the Pan-African colors as their palette, students transformed blank canvases into stunning recreations of the Sankofa bird, Black power fist, or their own original creations

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesAllison AcostaMarch 6, 2023VA, Vanessa Williams, ArtsEducation, Unapologetically Black, High School, Kimberly Ellis, Working Groups

Early Childhood Art Inspired by Cyrus Kabiru's Afrofuturist C-Stunners

Early childhood students at School Within School @ Goding explore Black joy through the Afrofuturist art of Cyrus Kabiru, who creates glasses (he calls c-stunners) out of discarded materials.

Teaching Stories, Black Lives Matter at SchoolMykella PalmerMarch 1, 2021Early Childhood, Teacher Author, ArtsEducation, Globalism, Unapologetically Black

Key Figures in U.S. History

Mark McCants, the math resource teacher at Stoddert Elementary School (DCPS), shared this description of the school’s activities.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerMarch 26, 2019SY19, Elementary, DC, DCPS, ArtsEducation, Unapologetically Black, Intergenerational, Empathy

Social Justice Printmaking in Middle School: Black Joy

Students at Jefferson Middle School (DCPS) engaged in a social justice printmaking workshop.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerMarch 1, 2019SY19, ArtsEducation, Middle School, DC, DCPS, Unapologetically Black

Milo's Museum Project for First Grade

First graders in Melissa Somerville’s and Jessica Jones’ classrooms at Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS read the book Milo’s Museum by Zetta Elliott in preparation for the Black Lives Matter Week of Action.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesAllison AcostaFebruary 25, 2019SY19, Elementary, DC, DCPS, ArtsEducation, Allison Acosta, Empathy

Black Lives Matter Principles at School-Wide Assembly

Students from Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf wrapped up their observation and celebration of Black History Month on March 27, with a biographical performance and arts program.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesAllison AcostaFebruary 18, 2019SY19, Middle School, Elementary, DC, ArtsEducation, All 13 Principles

Social Justice Printmaking Teacher Workshop

On Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, teacher artist Alex Huttinger offered a workshop for 20 D.C. area teachers as part of Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. Read more >>

Black Lives Matter at School, Other StoriesMykella PalmerFebruary 15, 2019SY19, ArtsEducation, Event, Intergenerational, Unapologetically Black

Students Read "This Is the Rope"

Ashley Chu read This Is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson in her Kindergarten class in D.C. for Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.

Black Lives Matter at School, Anti-Bias, Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerFebruary 13, 2019SY19, Early Childhood, DC, ArtsEducation, Children's Books, Ashley Chu, Empathy, Intergenerational

Black Lives Matter Week of Action: School Wide Activities

Every grade participated in the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action at Inspired Teaching Demonstration School.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerFebruary 12, 2019SY19, Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, DC, ArtsEducation, All 13 Principles

Black Lives Matter Banner

All students and staff at Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS were invited to contribute to a Black Lives Matter mural as part of the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. Each grade level responded to a different prompt on colored post-its that were then placed on the banner.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerFebruary 11, 2019SY19, Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, DC, ArtsEducation, Allison Acosta, Restorative Justice

Ceramic Art with "Malala's Magic Pencil"

An afterschool ceramics class explores the Black Lives Matter guiding principle of globalism.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesAllison AcostaFebruary 8, 2019SY19, Early Childhood, Elementary, MD, ArtsEducation, Globalism

"Black is Beautiful" Theme for Early Childhood

Maureen Ingram’s early childhood PK3 class at Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS launched the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action with activities around the theme “Black is Beautiful.”

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching Stories, Anti-BiasMykella PalmerFebruary 4, 2019SY19, Early Childhood, DC, ArtsEducation, All 13 Principles

Unity March and Black Lives Matter Kindergarten Mural

Kindergarten students in Sandhya Rajan's class are solidifying their commitment to valuing and protecting Black lives by adding their signature to the "BLACK LIVES MATTER" banner at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerFebruary 14, 2018SY18, DC, Early Childhood, Elementary, ArtsEducation, DCPS, Unapologetically Black

Black Lives Matter School Mural

Early childhood students and families at The Inspired Teaching Demonstration School began to work on a #BlackLivesMatter mural this morning. Students in Pk through 8th grade will have the opportunity to add their messages throughout the week as part of the D.C. Area Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools.

Black Lives Matter at School, Teaching StoriesMykella PalmerFebruary 6, 2018SY18, Early Childhood, DC, ArtsEducation, Black Families