Why Build Culturally Sustaining Curricula For All?

Student-led demonstrations and calls for racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death have transformed our national dialogue about anti-racism and the role of education over the past several months. Despite extensive research showing that when students see themselves in lessons, they learn more, many subjects and curricula still don’t represent all students. With the variance in cultural contexts across the country, how should programs approach building curriculum for different subjects and cultures? From tackling why certain banned books like Dear Martin should be included in curriculum, to exploring what histories and narratives students are owed in the classroom, our conversation from the July 23, 2020 Panel at the EWA 2020 National Seminar featuring Evan Gutierrez, Managing Director for Curriculum and Assessment for Summit Learning, and Nic Stone, author of the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin, discussed why and how schools can incorporate things like — racial and ethnic identity, LGBTQ rights, and cultural divides in rural America — into relevant curriculum at a time when America’s students are demanding change. Video credit: Education Writers Association, 2020 National Seminar.