Primary Source Inspires Human Rights Curriculum in Acton

Students at the Douglas Elementary School in Acton are diving into global education, thanks to several teachers who participated in Primary Source's Teaching for Global Understanding in the 21st Century summer institute. Douglas teachers Cheryl Breslin, Stephanie Tajima, and Jayne Carter were inspired by the course to create a school-wide initiative in which each grade level will explore one of the rights in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Global Understanding Course Inspires Teacher Innovation

Thanks to the support of several key institutions, Primary Source's recent course, Teaching for Global Understanding in the 21st Century, readied educators to provide their students with the content knowledge of other cultures, peoples, and histories they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The intensive one-week summer program provided 57 educators with a strong background in a range of contemporary global issues, an introduction to current scholarship on how to address these challenges, and a model for using new technologies to develop students' 21st century skills, such as cross-cultural communication and critical thinking.

Zeff Photo Study Tour Photo Contest

Submission deadline: Friday, October 17, 2008

Primary Source is pleased to announce that Zeff Photo in Belmont is the sponsor of Primary Source's Study Tour Photo Contest. With Zeff Photo's generous support, participants will be eligible for a prize of their choosing with gift certificates from Zeff!

New Avenues for Global Understanding

Check out Primary Source Program Associate Maggie Kaiser's recent post on The Public Humanist, a blog in the Valley Advocate supported by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.

Her piece, "New Avenues for Global Understanding," shares the ways in which teachers' use of 21st century primary sources, from Google Earth to videoconferencing, can help students connect with people and history across the globe.

Read and comment on "New Avenues for Global Understanding" at The Public Humanist website.

Primary Source Staff & Board Updates

Primary Source's dedicated staff and board members are excited for the beginning of another productive school year, as our team continues to develop and expand.

Teacher Q&A: Deanne Moore, Hingham High School

Deanne Moore, who teaches English at Hingham High School, has used the resources and knowledge she gained at Primary Source to transform Hingham's 10th grade English class into a course on world literature

2008-2009 Courses: A World of Learning

At the start of Primary Source's 20th year of programs, a wealth of opportunities is available for schools looking to expand students' perspectives on world history and culture. From introductory one-day workshops to in-depth five-day seminar series, all of our courses are designed to provide educators of every subject area and grade level with the background knowledge and teaching strategies they need to successfully integrate global content into the curriculum. Participating teachers also have the opportunity to earn professional development points and/or graduate credits.

Global Education: A Student Perspective

On Friday, July 18th, a unique panel gathered at Boston College to speak to participants in Primary Source's Teaching for Global Understanding summer institute. The panel, composed of high school students from four of Primary Source's forty-two partner districts, discussed the impact of globalized curricula on their education and future plans. Primary Source Executive Director Kathy Ennis moderated the conversation.

Hingham, Shrewsbury Educators Win GEM-AIG WorldSource Award

On Friday, July 18th, 2008, educators Deanne Moore and Robert Wilson were named co-recipients of the third annual Global Education Massachusetts (GEM) AIG WorldSource Award for Excellence in International Education.

2007 Annual Report: Bringing the World to New England's Classrooms

Primary Source has just released its 2007 Annual Report, Bringing the World to New England's Classrooms. We are deeply grateful for the continued support of the many individuals and institutions that contributed to the Primary Source Fund in 2007.

As a result, Primary Source provided graduate courses, study tours, and in-school workshops for nearly 1,800 teachers in the past year, who in turn have reached more than 150,000 students.

Download the PDF.