Humanities Washington
As an addition to Humanities WA’s Speakers Bureau program, which provides vetted humanities experts to schools free of charge, the organization has selected seven speakers that help high school students engage with and understand democracy, from political polarization to voting rights to protest and more. We have also developed accompanying slide deck presentations, activities, and a teaching guide in accordance with Washington State OSPI standards for Social Studies for teachers’ use, free of charge.
Humanities Washington speakers are scholars all chosen not only for their expertise, but also for their ability to inspire discussion with people of all ages and backgrounds. Speakers Bureau talks last around an hour, with a Q & A period that encourages discussion across perspectives.
Intended for students in grades 9–12 and educators, the objectives of the Democracy Forward initiative are:
? Increase access to, and engagement with, humanities topics at high schools for students
? Invite the gathering and bridging of communities
? Facilitate deeper thinking into one’s role in a healthy democracy through a humanities lens
? Consider how democratic processes and principles show up in our everyday lives
The presentations are:
- Redefining Protest Through Music – Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons
- Biased Code: Technology and Human Rights – Clyde Ford
- How Latina/Latino Representation Can Improve Democracy – María Chávez
- What Laughter Tells Us: Asian Americans, Comedy and Belonging – Michelle Liu
- All the Rage: How American Politics Boiled Over – Steven Stehr
- American Democracy’s Indigenous Roots and Future – Fern Naomi Renville
- The Art of Rebellion: Social Justice and Chicana/Chicano Visual Arts – Jake Prendez