THINKING NATION ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH FOUR WASHINGTON, D.C. PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

Partnership To Offer Inquiry-Based Approach to Social Studies Curriculum in Grades 7 and 10

NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Thinking Nation, a national 501(c)(3) committed to empowering students through inquiry by transforming social studies education from a content focus to a discipline that fosters historical thinking, is excited to announce an education partnership with four esteemed Washington, D.C. public charter schools, also known as Local Education Agencies (LEA): E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, Friendship Public Charter Schools, KIPP DC, and Maya Angelou Schools. This unique collaboration will be offered to students studying seventh grade United States History and tenth grade World History for the first year of the partnership which begins in spring 2025.

"It's not often that people are given the opportunity to rethink a curriculum in its entirety and build it out from scratch," said Thinking Nation Executive Director Zachary Coté. "This privilege is not lost on us at Thinking Nation, nor our charter school partners in Washington, D.C. We are thrilled to provide students with an inclusive, inquiry-based curriculum that can both empower them as thinkers and equip them to be successful in our pluralistic democracy."

The innovative, customized curriculum developed by Thinking Nation is strategically aligned to the new social studies standards adopted by Washington, D.C.'s Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Thinking Nation is working closely with scholars and community members in its development. The program is founded on an inquiry-based approach to learning social studies, where the coursework emphasizes questioning, investigation, and critical thinking to promote a deeper understanding, foster curiosity, improve retention, and empower students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Students will benefit from a curriculum that moves beyond textbooks and other traditional methods that prioritize providing students information. Thinking Nation's inquiry-based curriculum gives students the agency to analyze the past, creating a richer, more dynamic learning environment that cultivates engagement, heightened cultural awareness, and enhanced reflection and communication skills.

Each LEA partnering with Thinking Nation is a beacon of academic excellence and equity serving diverse student populations with tailored support and high-quality education:

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
The award-winning E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, named for Dr. Euphemia Lofton Haynes, the first African American woman to receive a doctorate in mathematics and a DCPS teacher for nearly 50 years, serves more than 1,100 pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 grade students through a diverse and inclusive learning community where every student—of every race, socioeconomic status, home language, and ability—prepares to thrive in college, career, and life.

"Thinking Nation is providing E.L. Haynes teachers and students with relevant, and rigorous learning tasks that address the new Social Studies standards," said Senior Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Rob Murphy. "We are glad students will be able to explore materials that offer thought-provoking content, marginalized voices and multiple perspectives on history. We are excited to be partnering with them."

Friendship Public Charter School
For more than 25 years, Friendship has been one of the largest and highest-performing school districts in D.C., serving 4,500 students and employing 1,000 team members across 15 campuses. According to 2022-23 state assessment results, Friendship students are growing at two-to-three times the citywide averages in reading and math, and annually, Friendship graduates achieve a 100% college acceptance rate.

"At Friendship Public Charter School, we are deeply committed to ensuring our students receive the highest-quality education possible, which is why we are thrilled to align our efforts with the revised D.C. Social Studies Standards—some of the most rigorous and comprehensive in the nation," shared Director of Social Studies Michael Stevens. "We're confident that through our collaboration with Thinking Nation, we'll create a curriculum that not only meets the high expectations of the D.C. Social Studies Standards, but also transforms social studies education in our schools."

KIPP DC 
KIPP DC is a community of high-performing, public schools committed to excellence, equity, and justice. Equipped with a KIPP DC education, our alumni are empowered to be successful in college, careers, and life.

"We're excited to partner with Thinking Nation to enrich our social studies curriculum at KIPP DC," said Senior Managing Director of Literacy & Humanities Liz Striebel. "Together, we're creating academically excellent learning experiences that deepen students' understanding of history and foster independent thought, preparing them to become active, informed participants in our democracy."

Maya Angelou Schools
Now in its 26^th academic year, The Maya Angelou Schools, named after the renowned poet and civil rights activist, is the first and largest LEA to commit to serving opportunity youth in both nontraditional or correctional settings as they earn high school or GED diplomas and CTE certifications. Serving more than 500 students, the charter school network focuses on fostering resilience, personal growth, and academic achievement so that students are empowered to overcome challenges and build a foundation for lifelong success.

Chief Executive Officer Clarisse Mendoza Davis, Ed.D. shared, "We are thrilled to partner with Thinking Nation and our other charter school colleagues here in D.C. and that the voices and lived experiences of Maya scholars and staff will directly inform the development of an updated, rigorous Social Studies curriculum that is both relevant and meaningful for our students."

A key pillar in Thinking Nation's curriculum for the Washington LEAs is the role museums play in developing place-based educational programs, exhibitions, and learning experiences that foster civic engagement, historical curiosity, and community connections. Thinking Nation is working with Every Museum A Civic Museum (EMCM), which aims to transform museums into active civic spaces by integrating civic education into their core missions. Thinking Nation is working with EMCM to identify Washington, D.C.-area museums, historic sites, archives, and libraries that can contribute object-, place-, and document-based resources to the curriculum. 

EMCM Founder Sarah Jencks remarked, "By linking every social studies unit to a local museum, archive or historic site, students will benefit from making clear connections between what they are learning and the culture and history of their area, strengthening their sense of context for the worlds in which they live. Washington, D.C. is a great place to start this pilot, as we benefit from a plethora of museums and historic sites."

"This partnership promises to empower students who can ask questions, evaluate evidence, and analyze the past, present, and future of their communities and nation," said Professor of History at Arizona State University and Thinking Nation Board Member Dr. Catherine O'Donnell. "We look forward to collaborating as we create and share this innovative, ambitious curriculum."

For more information on Thinking Nation's innovative approach to fostering historical thinking in social studies education or to support the organization's work to transform social studies classrooms across the country, visit thinkingnation.org. 

About Thinking Nation
Thinking Nation is a national 501(c)(3) committed to empowering students through inquiry by transforming social studies education from content memorization to an historical thinking discipline. We believe that education is our greatest equalizer, and that every student, regardless of zip code or socio-economic background, deserves access to learning practices that reflect the diversity of identities, histories, contributions, and experiences to support enriched educational opportunity, equity, and success for all. Thinking Nation currently serves more than 35,000 students in 16 states and the District of Columbia. For more information about Thinking Nation or to become a part of this transformative initiative, please visit thinkingnation.org. 

Media Contacts
Laura Wessells and Martha Holler
ShinePR for Thinking Nation, [email protected] 

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