The High School Ethnic Studies Initiative hosts various events for students and instructors that focus on approaches to teaching Ethnic Studies high school courses.
Event Resource Pages
Explore our event pages with recordings, recommended resources, and key takeaways!
4/2/24 Scholar Series Event: "How can districts and schools successfully implement Ethnic Studies courses?"
On Tuesday, April 2nd, Artnelson Concordia led a Zoom conversation on "How can districts and schools successfully implement Ethnic Studies courses?" Artnelson is a founding teacher of the SFUSD Ethnic Studies program and currently coordinates Santa Barbara Unified School District's (SBUSD) Ethnic Studies program. Resource page coming soon
On Tuesday, March 26th, from 4:00 - 5:30 pm Kyle Beckham, lecturer and co-director of the UC Berkeley Teacher Education Program lead a discussion on Zoom on how to create healing spaces in response to controversial topics. Beckham is a veteran classroom teacher who helped to co-create SFUSD's Ethnic Studies program. Resource page
"How do we teach Pacific Island matters in High School Ethnic Studies Curricula?” was held on Monday, March 26th, 4:30 - 5:30 pm, featuring an introduction by Angel Halafihi and moderation by UC Berkeley undergraduates Fine Ashley Tuitupou & Kahel Joem Zedekiah. Discussion panelists included Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander scholars Estella Owoimaha-Church and Andrew Vai. Resource page
On February 28th, UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Department Chair Keith Feldman moderated "Teaching Histories of Anti-Imperialist Solidarity" a discussion featuring Ethnic Studies scholars Dr. Jason Ferreira & Dr. Michael Schulze-Oechtering. This panel examined the role of understanding solidarity in High School Ethnic Studies courses. Resource page
On January 30th, 2023, filmmaker and scholar Dr. Elizabeth Castle, shared her experiences with The Warrior Women Project(link is external) (which she founded in 2006), and how it honors the legacies of Native Women activists. She shared insights on incorporating the narratives of Wounded Knee activists, and oral histories more generally, into today’s academic landscape, especially in Ethnic Studies courses. Resource page
On October 23, 2023, the High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI) team and the Multicultural Community Center at UC Berkeley hosted the first event in the UCB-HSESI scholar series, "Teaching the Black Panther Party Legacy " featuring Professors Ula Taylor and Waldo Martin, scholars on Black Panther Party history. This discussion provided insights on incorporating the Party's history and enduring lessons into today's academic landscape, especially in Ethnic Studies courses. Resource page
On June 12, 2023, UC Berkeley's High School Ethnic Studies Initiative held a panel discussion for student strikers and scholars of the 1969 Third World Liberation Front Strike at UC Berkeley. This discussion features rare insights for instructors to learn about the original intentions and hopes for the Ethnic Studies curriculum and beyond.
On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, UC Berkeley's High School Ethnic Studies Initiative held a panel discussion exploring the Ethnic Studies curriculum at the high school and university-level. This discussion featured Ethnic Studies students from Berkeley High School and alum from UC Berkeley, who offered insights into the challenges, opportunities and immense significance of Ethnic Studies courses in today’s academic landscape.
"Aspirations of Material Anti-Racism," hosted at UC Berkeley in Spring 2023. The series brought together university faculty with contemporary experts from academia and beyond, focusing on Black freedom movements, decolonial theory and practice, mutual aid, and housing rights, among other topics. On its dedicated page, you can find recordings of the discussions along with valuable resources and key takeaways. The series was sponsored by the Staff as Students of Social Justice Program, a program that creates a unique learning community for campus staff engaging in anti-racist pedagogies and weekly discussion seminars.
On November 14, 2022, the American Cultures Center, the Department of Ethnic Studies and History-Social Science Project hosted a conversation with local elementary, middle, and high school teachers for undergraduate students to learn about building a career as an Ethnic Studies teacher, given that they will be needed now more than ever.
