K -12 Educators

We are happy to have presented our Second Teaching New York City History in K-12 Schools Conference. The first conference took place in April, 2001. Over 400 teachers attended 24 presentations. We had such an overwhelming response to the first conference that we were able to accommodate more participants and more presentations in 2003. This time, over 600 teachers attended 36 presentations. The conference offered both public and private school teachers the much needed opportunity to gather and share ideas, lessons and programs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only conference to focus on these needs.

Happily, our mission coincided with that of the newly re-organized New York City Department of Education. The Gotham Center is committed to helping enhance students' knowledge and appreciation of New York City history. By working with teachers, K-12, The Gotham Center seeks to improve instruction and raise student achievement.

Our program for the conference was an exciting one. We were happy to welcome back to the Gotham Center prize-winning film maker Ric Burns, director of New York: A Documentary Film, who delivered the keynote address.

Saturday's panels, workshops and presentations included topics such as slavery in New York, oral histories as primary sources, life in New Amsterdam, the history of the harbor, Native American history, researching the history of your school, just to name a few. All presentations addressed the New York City and New York state mandated learning standards.

The popular Cultural Institutions Marketplace was held on the Concourse level of the Graduate Center. Here demonstrations and material were available throughout the day.

After such a successful conference in 2003, we look forward to hosting the Third Teaching New York City History in K-12 Schools Conference in 2005!