Adolescence is a time when young people are crafting stories about who they are, how they understand the world, and how they fit into society. Literature has the power to inform and transform the way adolescents see themselves and others.
Facing History & Ourselves invites English language arts educators at grades 6–12 to participate in a four-week self-paced, virtual mini-course in which they will explore hands-on strategies to teach coming-of-age texts and literature, centering students’ identities and lived experiences as young adults.
Facing History’s approach to teaching coming-of-age literature integrates social–emotional learning, critical reading skills, and an equity focus, with new research in adolescent development. It is designed to help students value the complexity of identity, process texts through a critical and ethical lens, and develop their sense of agency.
Educators will participate in this course as part of an asynchronous cohort. While participants can access and complete the content at their own pace and on their own schedule, the cohort will follow a weekly schedule and move forward together, interacting via discussion boards and other communication tools. However, there are no live learning sessions.
The self-guided synchronous course will take place in Canvas from February 5 to March 4, 2026. The schedule is as follows:
- Module 1: Start with Yourself (asynchronous, about 3 hours to complete): February 5–11
- Module 2: Explore the Complexity of Identity (asynchronous, about 3 hours to complete): February 12–18
- Module 3: Process Text through a Critical and Ethical Lens (asynchronous, about 3 hours to complete): February 19–25
- Module 4: Develop a Sense of Agency (asynchronous, about 3 hours to complete): February 26–March 4
English language arts and humanities teachers, school leaders, and curriculum specialists from a variety of school settings, including public, private, independent, and religious schools, are invited to apply. Participation is free; however, there is a $25 processing.