K-14 Outreach

Group of teachers looking at fabric on a table

Berkeley offers free outreach programs to support K-12 and community college educators in increasing their understanding of global issues, expanding their knowledge of World History and Global Studies, and integrating international topics into courses across disciplines.

Overview

CLACS collaborates with partners to offer K-14 Outreach activities to to share public engagement strategies and tools for extending Latin American studies resources to K-14 schools at the local and national level. Our partners include:

  • The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP)
  • The Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS), supported by the Berkeley National Resource Centers (NRCs) and World Area Centers and the Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Research
  • The UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project (UCBHSSP)

The Consortium for Latin American Studies Programs

The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) was organized in early-1969 as an association of over 200 Latin American Studies programs at American colleges and universities. Like today, CLASP’s original purpose was to promote the study of Latin America in those institutions by providing members with guidance on programs and policy and by gathering and publishing information of use to them. Some of CLASP's key initiatives include:

UC Berkeley Office of Resources for International and Area Studies

Funded by the NRCs and the Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Research (VCRO), ORIAS provides professional development and international subject-area content to K-12 teachers in the Bay Area.

ORIAS organizers a number of activities and resources for elementary and secondary school educators. These include:

  • Teachers’ World History Reading Groups
  • Speakers Bureau (UC Berkeley students present to K-14 classrooms) 
  • Afternoon and weekend professional learning during the academic year 
  • Summer Institutes for k-12 and community college educators (multi-day professional learning sessions focused on a global theme)
  • Workshops for local school district professional development programs

ORIAS has had an important impact on area studies in the region.  Participants of ORIAS workshops are very positive about their participation. On a survey administered after a K-12 institute, 30% of respondents were new to ORIAS events, and 100% of those new attendees said they would recommend an ORIAS event to a colleague. 

The whole program is amazing…I can usually incorporate some of the content, be it an idea, information, or an anecdote, from all the presentations into my seventh grade curriculum...The opportunity to learn alongside teachers concerned more with content than the newest pedagogical trend is inspiring and reassuring.
ORIAS participant

UCB History-Social Science Project

Berkeley NRCs collaborate with the Berkeley History-Social Science Project (UCBHSSP), which is administered by the California Department of Education; the State Board of Education; the University of California, Office of the President; and California State University. UCBHSSP seeks to bridge the academy and K-12 communities to help teachers strengthen their instructional practice and provide equitable educational opportunities to all students, through a model of learning, practicing, and doing.

Located in the UC Berkeley History Department, UCBHSSP is a member site of the California Subject Matter Projects. The Project brings together teachers and university faculty to create workshops that combine content knowledge with instruction in pedagogical techniques. UCBHSSP works with history teachers to strengthen their instructional practice in order to provide meaningful and empowering educational opportunities for all students.

UCBHSSP organizes a number of programs and resources for educators, including: 

  • Curriculum resources
  • Workshops, trainings, and meetings 
  • School or district support

ORIAS

Berkeley Office of Resources for International and Area Studies

History-Social Science Project

History instruction in a time of disruption

ORIAS Speakers Bureau

Opportunity for graduate students to present their research in classrooms

UC Berkeley Professional Development for Educators