High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI)

On June 24, 2025, UC Berkeley's annual High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI) Institute held this panel about the Third World/third world Liberation Front (TWLF/twLF)* for an audience of high school ethnic studies educators. This panel built upon ones that took place the last two years, which featured organizers from the 1969 TWLF student strike, the movement started at San Francisco state and continued here at UC Berkeley, eventually leading to the creation of the academic field of Ethnic Studies. This panel brought back original student strikers from 1969 alongside...

On October 3, 2024, the High School Ethnic Studies Initiative hosted the event “Bringing Critical Filipinx* Studies into the High School Ethnic Studies Classroom.” In this discussion, Filipinx scholars discussed how educators can incorporate Filipinx and Filipinx-American studies into the Ethnic Studies classroom. They offered reflections on the Filipinx-American diaspora’s history of forced migration, organizing against labor exploitation, and resisting co-optation. The event...

UC Berkeley holds a unique position as the first institution of higher education to introduce an Ethnic Studies program. Each summer, the High School Ethnic Studies Initiative offers high school educators the opportunity to enhance their ability to teach Ethnic Studies courses. This initiative, now in its third year, focuses on developing a deep understanding of Ethnic Studies concepts, content, and community engagement.

Educators will receive support from UC Berkeley librarians, faculty, staff and community partners, aiding in developing course content and refining teaching...

In 2021, several academic partners at UC Berkeley recognized the need to support California high schools. They developed the High School Ethnic Initiative, also known as HSESI. HSESI is a collaborative effort among the American Cultures Center, the Department of Ethnic Studies, and the History Social Sciences Project to leverage UC Berkeley's extensive academic resources and pedagogical expertise. The initiative focuses on building a curriculum infrastructure for California educators, addressing immediate and long-term needs.

Key resources for UC Berkeley's partnership with...