American History Resources

Kentwood Public Schools

Item

School District

Kentwood Public Schools

Description

This initiative provided professional development workshops and student-centered research projects focused on diverse local histories. Educators participated in sessions at the Grand Rapids Public Museum to learn inquiry-based strategies for teaching local Black history and received training in culturally responsive pedagogy to create more inclusive classroom environments. Simultaneously, students engaged in immersive projects, such as interviewing family members for a Vietnamese refugee oral history initiative and presenting their research at public museum events. These efforts were supported by collaborative partnerships with community historians and university scholars, ultimately leading to increased teacher confidence, higher student engagement, and a more representative archive of local history.

Partners

- Matt Vriesman - Social Studies Teacher at East Kentwood High School and the 2023 National History Teacher of the
Year.
- Erin Koren – Grand Rapids Public Museum
- Dr. Annalise Kontras – Leadership Academy
- Dr. Tony Baker – Ferris State University / GR Stories
- Le Tran – East Kentwood High School / Grand Rapids Public Museum Collaborator
- Deborah Jones – South High School Alumna and Community Historian

Resources Used

Grand Rapids Black History Lessons

This is Our Home Now: 50 Years of Building Community After Saigon

Empowering Histories: Why Every State Needs an AP African American Studies Meetup Like AAAS @ MSU’s

MLive: 50 years after Saigon: Vietnamese American voices honored in Grand Rapids

Michigan Public Stateside Podcast: Students honor Vietnamese voices 50 years after fall of Saigon

School News Network: Vietnamese students write family narratives, contribute to local history

Abstract

Media

Student Project - MLive

50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon Program

Student Project - School News Network

Item sets

History Toolkit