Muskegon Public Schools

Muskegon wanted to deepen educators' understanding of diverse histories, specifically focusing on the Great Migration and the African American experience to create more inclusive classroom environments. Through a comprehensive professional learning framework that included (1) DBQ Project training and (2) a six-day immersive historical place-based experience throughout the U.S. South which included multiple synthesis workshops. As a result of these two professional learnign opportunities, participating teachers developed the capacity to connect local narratives to broader national contexts, thereby becoming better able to address historical inequities. The project established a scalable model for immersive professional development and a community of practice, resulting in high participant satisfaction and the creation of a digital repository of inquiry-based instructional units available at misocialstudies.org. Ultimately, Muskegon's 99d grant transformed participants' pedagogical approaches, equipped them to challenge bias, foster student empathy, and effectively convey the complexity of both local and American history.

 

Resources:

 

Partners:

 

Regional and District Leadership:

  • Rebecca Bush - Muskegon Public Schools Social Studies Specialist
  • Kristen Renes - MAISD Social Studies Consultant
  • Dr. David Johnson - Wexford Missaukee ISD Social Studies, ELA, and SEL Education Consultant
  • Chauncy Williams - IAM Coach PK-8 MCEC (Muskegon Public Schools)

 

Immersive Great Migration Trip Site Experts:

 

Additional resources coming soon.