THE HISTORY CO:LAB
OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON HUMANITY
We are a co:creation lab advancing a new operating system of learning so that all students grow up developing their full humanity, with an approach to history that enables them to address the challenges of today and realize the opportunities of tomorrow.
WHO WE ARE
WE ARE AN INTERGENERATIONAL IMPACT COLLECTIVE
We are an open team of teams, integrating our own and our partners’ expertise in social innovation, youth engagement, museum learning, history teaching and weaving for collective impact. We leverage our networks, creativity and focus on accelerating transformation of education systems at scale.
OUR MISSION
TO CO:CREATE ECOSYSTEMS OF CIVIC LEARNING FOR THRIVING
We catalyze and promote inspired learning experiences in the humanities inside and outside the classroom based on rigorous learning science around joyful, effective learning so that young people can develop the competencies, concepts and context they need to thrive and build a better future.
Our goal is to support and accelerate the creation of a new operating system for education so that this kind of learning can become the norm.
WHY WE DO IT
The kids are not alright
At the root of our crisis of school lies a historic crisis of identity, belonging and democracy: 75% of youth feel a daily sense of overwhelming anxiety, 16% are proud to live in America, 7% feel that politicians represent their interests well.
If we, across generations, are to step into our role as makers of our shared history, we have to focus on providing young people with the learning experiences they need—that we all need—to develop our full humanity.
Effective learning experiences with history and in the humanities more broadly
… create guardrails against hatred, demagoguery and dictatorship
… connect us to the stories of our shared humanity that are all around us
… build the core competencies we need to thrive and to create a peaceful present,
and provide inspiration for how we can shape a better future.
HOW WE DO IT
co:create engaging learning experiences
co:nvene communities of practice and weave local civic learning ecosystems
co:mmunicate the power of history to guide us to a better future
co:nnections between transformational players in the field
Centering youth.
Young people are the key stakeholders of history education. They are advocating for learning that is relevant, engaging and future-focused. Listen to an episode of our teen-led podcast UnTextbooked to hear what they have to say.
HISTORY CO:LAB PROJECTS
We are a generative, open and fluid team of teams, always creating new ways to advance our mission in partnership with others. Here are some of our national and international projects currently underway.
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AWARD-WINNING YOUTH PODCAST: UNTEXTBOOKED
UnTextbooked was co-created by a team of teenagers and the History Co:Lab as a way to showcase the power of history to inspire and inform change makers. In each episode, a young person interviews a prominent historian about their work and highlights how the themes of the past are relevant for today.
UnTextbooked has reached #2 on Apple Podcasts in History, has won the Spotify Next Wave award winner and was an Apple New and Noteworthy in 2021 and 2023.
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FUTURE-FOCUSED HISTORY AND CIVICS FOR UKRAINE
The week Russia attacked Ukraine, we launched a “Books not Bombs” campaign to strengthen future-focused, inquiry-based teaching civics and history teaching so that young people are prepared to build a peaceful democracy in the future.
At the time of the attack, a pioneering group of educators had just created a middle school textbook. We are supporting the print and distribution, and are working with Area9 Rhapsode, the most advanced adaptive learning platform available, to digitize the book for universal accessibility.
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ACTIVATING MUSEUMS WITH THE POWER OF PLAY
In partnership with Education for Sharing and the LEGO Foundation, we are working with museums around the United States to both showcase and enhance their capabilities as hubs of deep and inspiring learning, leveraging the power of Learning through Play.
We have designed games to enhance museum learning on abstract and complex issues, and are engaging museums nationwide to participate in a Summer campaign to Build a World of Play.
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ACTIVATING MUSEUMS AS HUBS OF CIVIC LEARNING
In 2021, a trans-partisan group of civic organizations co-created the Educating for American Democracy roadmap to transform history and civics teaching for the diverse needs of 21st century K–12 students.
We co-created and co-lead a Community Learning Partners Task Force to ensure that museums, libraries and archives can support schools in offering civic learning that inspires young people to renew and strengthen democracy.
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LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS FOR INSPIRED CIVIC LEARNING
Effective learning requires a connection to the real world, taking place beyond the walls of a classroom. We have created a civic learning ecosystem in Kansas City in partnership with the Kauffman Foundation’s Real World Learning initiative, weaving over 23 community cultural institutions into the core curriculum with project- and place-based learning.
We are scaling this model in partnership with Remake Learning in the region around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
OUR IMPACT
We strive for systems-change, and measuring that is hard. With over 1000 allies across hundreds of institutions, we are now working with researchers to create accurate measures of network impact. In the meantime, we are proud of
> 350 MUSEUMS
Are engaged in our civic learning communities of practice
>95% INSPIRED
Overwhelming majority of teen and educator participants of our institutes and learning experiences report highest level of inspiration
>80k LISTENERS
Listeners in over 90 countries have tuned in to listen to UnTextbooked
CO:CREATING WITH GLOBAL PARTNERS
INSTITUTIONAL + MUSEUM PARTNERS
ENTREPRENeURIAL COLLABORATORS
CORPORATE COLLABORATORS
FOUNDATION + ORGANIZATION PARTNERS
