Blog Posts by Subject: Education

The story of immigration to America is a rich tapestry whose opposing threads, oddly for how much they reject each other's reality, hang together as one. It outrages us and gives us hope in frighteningly equal measure.

Nowhere is this truer than New York City, a city of extremes in every sense. The community known as Washington Heights/Inwood originally spanned from 135th Street north to the top end of Manhattan Island, surrounded by the Hudson River on the west and the East River with Spuyten Duyvil's deadly currents in between. Its land is the highest ground in 

In order to provide 9th and 10th grade students an opportunity to explore this topic further, we have assembled a collection of primary and secondary source readings to be analyzed and discussed as part of common core-aligned Social Studies units on either the "New Imperialism" of the 19th century or the rise of Fascism in the 20th century.

Did you know that we're on Pinterest?

Check out our Pinterest Board—TeachNYPL—for educational resources from the New York Public Library including:

Finds from the Archives—letters from Harry Houdini to NYPL President John Shaw Billings, Civil War diaries, the infamous Newgate Calendar (the 'chronicles of 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”—Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

The American Revolution symbolizes a critical moment in the history of the United States, and the Declaration of Independence is the key symbol of that moment. With its rhetoric of freedom and equality, the Declaration of Independence inspired the colonists to courageously fight for their rights. 

As I recruit a team of educators for The New York Public Library’s rapidly expanding Education Department, I consistently hear from candidates about how formative the public library was in their childhoods. Most of us remember after-school and weekend trips to the library to check out books, and the great feeling of hanging out in a space devoted to the quiet pursuit of reading and lifelong learning.

Today’s libraries, however, are more than just a space to read. They are undergoing a metamorphosis in their support of literacy and education across all stages of life, 

By 1900, New York City and the United States were undergoing waves of dramatic, traumatic change. Industrialization, Reconstruction and a surge of immigrants from across the globe were remaking every aspect of life, from transportation to education, leisure, labor, race relations and the status of women. One response to the dislocations and turmoil of this era was the reform efforts that we now classify as the “Progressive Movement.”

"I could not move because history had me glued to the seat. It felt like Sojourner Truth's hands were pushing down on one shoulder, and Harriet Tubman's hand pushing down on another shoulder" —Claudette Colvin (Interview on Democracy Now, March 2013)

We have just shuttered the doors on our first Education Innovation @ NYPL Summer Institute. During this three week Institute, master teachers from NYC (and further afar) met curators from our Research Divisions, explored our Archives, and connected with members of our Strategy Department—all with the intention of addressing how we can better identify materials from our collections for use in the classroom, and how we can better connect these materials to teachers. The New York Public 

"I left the States for Canada, for rights, freedom, liberty. I came to Buxton [Ontario] to educate my children" —Henry Johnson (pp. 307 A North-side View of Slavery: The Refugee, Or, The Narratives of Fugitive Slaves in Canada)

Additional Resources for Further Reading Expanded Text List - Slavery and the Underground Railroad Gr. 6-8. List of additional materials from the NYPL Library 

What is Public Health?

If you've ever had a vaccination, assumed the water from your tap is safe, taken your baby to a clinic for a checkup, expected the restaurant you eat in to be clean and safe, been screened for tuberculosis, HIV or a sexually transmitted disease, wondered how to avoid getting Lyme disease, or what to eat to stay healthy, then you've been touched by the efforts of public health employees.

Public health protects and improves communities by preventing epidemics and the spread of disease, promoting healthy lifestyles for children and 

Job Corps is the nation's largest career technical training and education program for young people ages 16 through 24 that qualify as low income. A voluntary program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Job Corps provides eligible young men and women with an opportunity to gain the experience they need to begin a career or advance to higher education.

Job Corps offers hands-on training in more than 100 career technical areas, including: automotive and machine repair, construction, finance and business services, 

Love history? Original archival documents? Looking for new ways to incorporate primary source materials into your lesson plans? 

NYPL is searching for you! We are looking for innovative master teachers at the middle and high school level for a new 3 week collaborative summer exploration program based at The New York Public Library's flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

The Education Innovation @ NYPL Summer Institute will take place August 5-23 (Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. for 3 

As President Obama is leading our nation in an education reform to Race to the Top and Educate to Innovate, Mayor Bloomberg of the Big Apple is following suit in raising the education standards of K-12 school students by implementing more effective teaching and learning programs. Fortifying STEM education with a focus on the knowledge and skills for the jobs of the future is also an important aspect on the agenda of Bloomberg's 

The GED® test is changing on January 1, 2014.

After January 1, scores from previous tests will be invalid and cannot be combined with any new test scores.

If you have taken the test since January 1, 2002 and want your scores to count, you must complete the series and pass the test before 2014.

If you're a New York City resident between 17-24 years old who has previously taken the GED® test and would like free assistance to complete in 2013:

Visit GEDCompass.org Call 718-557-2525 Text GED 

"You're not going to homeschool for high school are you? How can you possibly teach all those subjects?"

I guess my husband's friend had no idea how insulting his comments were, but they made me laugh. Of course you can homeschool through high school if you have a plan! We've been homeschooling our son since 4th grade using the resources here at NYPL, why would we stop now just because he's headed to high school? Our friend's comments reminded me that it was time to start doing some research and planning to map out the next few years of 

CUNY Career PATH is a low-to no cost program funded by the grant program of the U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training, also know as TAACCCT.

In order to ensure career advancement and successful college transition, CUNY Career PATH participants are given career-focused academic and English language skills instruction, job training leading to industry-recognized credentials and college credits, academic advisement, career counseling and employment assistance.

Hostos 

A class from Mannes examines music manuscriptsIt can be a special experience when students make contact with primary resources. I have written previously about a class visit to examine documents from the life of Johann Sebastian Bach. A few weeks ago I had the great opportunity to introduce students to a fundamental primary resource: music manuscripts. My colleague Fred Fehleisen (of Mannes College the New School for Music) brought his class to the

Most of the collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman building are closed-stacked, i.e., we bring them to you. But on the 3rd floor, the Rose Main Reading Room maintains open, very open stacks of about 30,000 volumes on every subject, not just the humanities and social sciences which is our collection strength.

Here is a picture of the Shakespeare section, on the short shelves at the north-east corner. In addition to the complete works, it holds critical editions, 

As the nation is going through an education reform to Race to the Top and Educate to Innovate, Mayor Bloomberg of the Big Apple is following suit in developing education programs inline with the national policy in general and meeting the education and employment needs of the New Yorkers in particular.

Besides developing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs in the public school system