Schools Where We Belong: Whole School Partnership

If you’re committed to creating a student-centered school community that cultivates academic engagement, fosters a sense of agency, and where every teacher and student feels they belong, Schools Where We Belong is the partnership for you.

Our whole-school partnership model for middle and high schools, Schools Where We Belong, is designed to help schools achieve equity, engagement, and a sense of belonging for all students and educators.

A new partnership model for schools

This innovative model integrates student-centered teaching practices into every facet of school culture and curriculum, fostering a dynamic learning environment that empowers students to take ownership of their educational journey.  

Our flexible two-year partnership:

• Promotes civic engagement and supports deep academic learning by combining best-in-class teaching materials and professional development. 
• Equips school leaders and classroom teachers to foster inclusion, belonging and adopt more equitable educational practices and mindsets. 
• Supports students in gaining analytical skills, empathy, civic responsibility, and the belief that they can make a difference in the world.

What Partnership Looks Like

Create transformational, systemic change in your school’s approach to teaching, learning, and working together with our adaptable Schools Where We Belong whole-school partnership.

Core Components:

• A comprehensive suite of expertly crafted teaching materials and lesson plans, designed for one of our core curriculum offerings in social studies and/or ELA.  
• Immersive and transformative training for educators actively implementing our curriculum, and collaborative professional development for all faculty members, dedicated to crafting inclusive and student-centered classrooms.  
• Ongoing support including collaboration between Facing History staff and a School Design Team to guide implementation as well as follow-up coaching with implementing teachers.

There is also the option to select from additional program components that support improved school culture and student-centered teaching practices.

When you partner with Facing History through our Schools Where We Belong model, we will collaborate closely with you to understand your unique school context, design a work plan that addresses your needs, and provide consistent support so you can achieve your goals.

Roadmap for Success

1. Explore: Meet with a Facing History team member to discuss how Facing History can help you meet your goals, and enroll a School Design Team of 4-6 stakeholders from your school in one of our Explorations workshops to learn more about our approach.
2. Design & Launch: Work in partnership with Facing History staff to outline your school's unique goals and challenges, select curriculum and program components, and develop a detailed work plan for implementation.
3. Teach & Learn: Begin implementation and educator support, including scheduling and facilitating professional learning, launching curriculum integration, and holding regular check-ins for the School Design Team.
4. Continuous Improvement & Deepening Engagement: Expand curriculum implementation, reflect on progress toward goals, and develop long-term plans to ensure sustainability. 

See our current Partner Schools

Our current Partner Schools Network includes over 100 schools and reaches over 40,000 students. As part of this network, schools embrace Facing History's core themes as foundational to their schools' mission and weave Facing History content and teaching strategies throughout the school community. Learn more.