Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) announced that the Rochester City Schools have been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support an enhanced history curriculum for students in Kindergarten through second grade.

Funding will go towards the district’s project “Growing Up in America: A Historical Journey.” The project will conduct afterschool workshops for 300 teachers training them to think like historians over the next 5 years.

“A thorough understanding of what it means to be an American, and what that journey entails, is so important to prepare our children for their future success,” said Slaughter. “They must understand where they’ve come from to know where they are going. I am so pleased that this investment will arm Rochester teachers with the knowledge and skills to prepare our next generation of leaders.”

The program will increase primary grade-level teachers’ understanding of key events, issues, and people in American history through seminars hosted by community partners. These seminars aim to educate teachers to reach students by focusing on historical concepts familiar to children.

The program’s core will be constructed by a host of Rochester-based partners, including education content development by Nazareth College’s Department of History and Political Science and the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education.

In addition, teachers will receive training in the integration of historical artifacts into education by the Rochester Museum and Science Center, Strong National Museum of Play, Memorial Art Gallery, Genesee Country Village and Museum, and the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County.