Pulitzer Center Update February 23, 2022

Apply for The 1619 Project Education Network

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Artwork by Adam Pendleton in The 1619 Project, page 15. 2019.
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The Pulitzer Center is proud to partner with The New York Times Magazine on The 1619 Project to...

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The 1619 Project Education Network logo, reading: "$5,000 grants for education professionals. Applications due March 23, 2022."

How can exploration of the essays, creative writing, photography, podcasts, and books that make up The 1619 Project, from The New York Times Magazine, support existing curricula, while also helping students evaluate historical research and process current events? How can authentic engagement with media literacy skills and underreported news stories on racial justice help students engage curiously, critically, and empathetically with the world?

The 1619 Project Education Network launched in 2021 as a program wherein 41 teams of educators and administrators working with K-12 classrooms and education programs for carceral facilities explored these questions over a year. The teams connected as part of Network convenings, reading groups, and collaborative planning sessions. They developed and taught standards-aligned unit plans that explored how the content and themes from 1619 support diverse curricula, and then shared their work through digital events and resources. We are so pleased to announce that applications are now open for a second cohort of the Network program!

We invite educators, administrators, content specialists, and curriculum supervisors for K-12 schools and school districts to apply for the second cohort of The 1619 Project Education Network. Educators and administrators working with adults and youths in jails, prisons, or youth detention facilities are also encouraged to apply.

As part of this paid, virtual program, a cohort of some 40 teams made up of administrators and educators will receive grants of $5,000 each to support exploration of key questions of racial justice and other pressing issues in a community that also includes award-winning journalists and the Pulitzer Center education team.

Over the course of 2022, Network teams will …

  1. Develop standards-aligned units that engage students in The 1619 Project, and other journalism and historical sources, to strengthen connections to existing curricula, practice media literacy skills, and build empathy.
  2. Manage the implementation and evaluation of units by at least two educators.
  3. Share their units, teaching materials, unit evaluation materials, and student work publicly through the Pulitzer Center’s online lesson library and virtual professional development programs.
  4. Devise plans for revising and expanding use of their units in 2023.
  5. Actively participate in quarterly Network meetings, and other optional gatherings, to share progress, gain professional development, evaluate lessons learned, and provide support and feedback for other members.

Applications are due by 11:59 PM EDT, Friday, April 1, 2022.

Cohort participants will receive …

  • A $5,000 grant to support curriculum development and other costs ($2,500 upon submission of draft unit(s) and $2,500 upon receipt and approval of final grant deliverables outlined below)
  • Access to professional development workshops led by journalists, scholars, and Center staff
  • Access to a virtual portal that shares curricula, showcases student work, and provides avenues for participants to network and collaborate.

It is recommended that you visitThe 1619 Project Education Portal at 1619education.org to review curricular resources and programming from the 2021 cohort and gain further understanding of The 1619 Project. If you have questions after reading the eligibility requirements and Network details below, please reach out to us at [email protected]

The Pulitzer Center seeks to forward diversity, equity, and inclusion through our programs and partnerships. Please review our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement for more information on our commitments. Individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds, and/or those working with students from historically marginalized backgrounds, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements:

In order to meet the goals outlined above, each application should outline a plan that includes at least two classroom educators and the support of at least one school administrator and/or school, district, regional, or state content specialist/curriculum supervisor in order to facilitate unit implementation in multiple classes.

 The following education professionals are invited to apply:

  • Classroom teachers and administrators (grades K–12) working in public, charter, independent, and alternative schools in the United States and U.S. territories 
  • District, regional, and state content specialists or curriculum supervisors for public, charter, independent, and alternative schools in the United States and U.S. territories  
  • Educators and administrators working with adults and youths in jails, prisons, or youth detention facilities

All educators, administrators, and/or school, district, regional, or state content specialist/curriculum supervisors involved in each applicant’s plan will be invited to Network meetings and professional development opportunities. The primary contact for the application will be responsible for the submission of all deliverables, and will be the direct recipient of grant funds.

Because all professional development and cohort networking sessions will be held virtually, applicants must have stable internet access and a computer with a webcam and microphone.

Timeline and Requirements:

The 1619 Project Education Network will begin with a virtual orientation on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 11:30am-4:30pm EDT. The program will conclude in February 2023 with a conference hosted by the Pulitzer Center, which will celebrate members’ work and analyze ways that members can build on their work in 2023.

Members are required to join three additional Saturday sessions in 2022 for professional development and networking. Each four-hour session will include seminars with award-winning journalists and opportunities for peer feedback. All sessions will be held live via Zoom.

By January 13, 2023, each team will have …

  1. Crafted and shared at least one standards-aligned unit that engages students from multiple classes in The 1619 Project, and other journalism and historical sources, to strengthen connections to existing curricula, practice media literacy skills, and build empathy. (Due September 2, 2022)
  2. Facilitated their unit(s) in multiple classes with the support of at least two educators.
  3. Evaluated students' work and provided documentation of their unit(s) in the form of student work, lesson plans, teaching materials, evaluation materials, and/or images and video.
  4. Shared plans for revising and expanding use of their units in 2023.

Members’ work will be shared on the Pulitzer Center’s 1619 Education Portal, where they can be accessed for free by educators worldwide. Fellows may also have the opportunity to participate in teacher professional development webinars and/or conference presentations. Below are the key program dates and a timeline for unit design and implementation.

Key Dates:

  • Saturday, May 14, 2022: Network orientation
  • Between mid-May and mid-June: Teams meet with the K-12 Partnerships Manager to brainstorm and discuss questions/logistics
  • June 2022: Network convening 
  • Friday, September 2, 2022: Unit(s) due
  • September 2022: Network convening 
  • December 2022:  Network convening 
  • January 13, 2023: Revised unit draft(s), evidence of unit implementation, evidence of unit evaluation, and initial plans for unit expansion in 2022 due
  • Saturday, February 18, 2023: Final Convening
  • Saturday and Sunday, February 18-19, 2023: The second annual 1619 Education Conference

Apply Now!

Click here to apply for The 1619 Project Education Network. Applications are due Friday, April 1, 2022.

If you have additional questions, please contact us by emailing [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Pulitzer Center's national education work on The 1619 Project is a partnership with the journalists and editors behind this landmark New York Times Magazine initiative. We are grateful to the foundations and individuals who have joined this effort, with primary support from Meta. Other donors include Humanity United, the Trellis Fund, the Art for Justice Fund, Open Society Foundations, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.