Facing History and Ourselves

"Facing History and Ourselves was one of the most deeply effecting experiences of my life."

--Matt Damon

Actor and former Facing History student

Founded in the 1970s by educators in the Boston area, Facing History and Ourselves is a history curriculum designed to teach students to look beyond the facts. They ask that participants consider how history affected those individuals who lived it and why this information is relevant to them today. A broader organization has grown out of this original idea and has committed itself to various forms of progressive education.

According to their mission:

Facing History and Ourselves is based on the belief that education in a democracy must be what Alexis de Tocqueville called "an apprenticeship in liberty." There are three points to this mission:

• To engage students of diverse backgrounds in citizenship education

• To teach that the study of history is a moral enterprise

• To provide interdisciplinary programs, resource materials, and speakers for middle and high school educators to relate to past issues in the world today

Using these three points as guidelines, Facing History helps students find meaning in the past and recognize the need for participation and responsible decision making in the future. For further discussion about Facing History's curriculum click on the link located at the bottom of this page.

Photo Credit: Amanda Pillsbury

In September 2005 New York will welcome the very first Facing History and Ourselves school. This public high school promises to provide a progressive education to a diverse student body.

Remember to check Facing's official website in the summer and fall for volunteer opportunities in the brand new school.

Please follow the links below to find out more information on this extraordinary organization that reaches an estimated 1.5 million young people in the Unites States and around the world each school year.