In February, we celebrate Black History Month! To honor the achievements of African Americans, let’s celebrate the month together by learning more about the history, art, and culture of Black people. We know you work hard every day as an educator, so to support your efforts further, we have provided a list of activities to help you recognize and commemorate this important month.
2023 Black History Contest
The annual Black History Month students’ art and essay contest this year is themed “Celebrating the Achievements of African American Floridians.” Students are asked to write about African Americans who have made a notable effect on their community. The contest will conclude on February 7, 2023. Each winner will receive a 2-Year Florida Collège Plan Scholarship and a $100 school supply gift card. Artwork and essays are to be submitted online at http://floridablackhistory.com/.
Activities for Black History Month and Beyond
This month, we honor the African Americans who have made an impact in our community. Are you an educator looking for some great activities to do during Black History Month? Well you’re in luck, check out “34 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond.” This resource is jam-packed with over 34 different types of exciting activities that you can do with your students during the month of February and throughout the school year. Below are a few highlighted resources that any teacher would love to incorporate into their class during Black History Month.
- Check out this list of Black History videos for students in every grade level.
- Showcase Black History in your classes and schools with these unique door-decorating ideas.
- Finally, listen to a few podcasts that commemorate Black History.
Virtual Education: Past, Present, and Future Podcast
In this podcast episode, award-winning Florida Virtual School teacher Mary Mitchell speaks with reimaginED senior writer Lisa Buie. For over 25 years, Mary has witnessed a lot of changes. According to Mitchell, in the early days, the dial-up connection was the only method for delivering online instruction and students communicated with educators by using pagers. Since then, online instruction has grown significantly. The number of full- and part-time students enrolled in FLVS from kindergarten through 12th grade is about 239,000. At the height of the pandemic, it was 244,000. Within this podcast, Mitchell shares why she left the traditional classroom setting and provides tips on different ways to engage students during online instruction.