Educators can browse thousands of exceptional classroom materials in the “Ethnic Studies Resource Library,” which provides a curated database of lesson plans, activities, documentaries, songs, poems, podcasts, books, news articles, external websites, museums, and countless forms of creative entry into Ethnic Studies learning. Our website hosts a dedicated “Primary Sources” page with historical documents and annotated sources. Also, discover innovative ways to represent diverse cultures and heritage celebrations on the “Immersive Classrooms” page, where you’ll find downloadable posters, Tony Award-winning theater productions, and a wide variety of music—from historical ballads to modern hits.

Resources on the website were selected based on the following assessment criteria:

• Is written in inclusive language that is supportive of multiple users.

• Encourages cultural understanding of how different groups have struggled and worked together, highlighting core Ethnic Studies concepts such as equality, justice, race, ethnicity, and indigeneity.

• Engages a range of disciplines beyond traditional history and social sciences, including, but not limited to, visual and performing arts, English language arts, economics, and environmental sciences.

• Adheres to the intent of AB 101.

• Adheres to the intent of the ESMC and/or is referenced in the ESMC.

• Promotes the values of civic engagement and civic responsibility.

• Promotes self and collective empowerment and critical thinking to generate discussions on futurity and imagine new possibilities.

• Includes accurate information based on current and confirmed research, does not reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons, is free from antisemitism, and may weave Jewish American experiences and inheritances naturally into the field.

Assembly Bill 101 (“AB 101”), authored by California Assemblymember Jose Medina, and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2021, established Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement for all high school students in California. The language in AB 101 determined that the Ethnic Studies mandate would take effect in 2025-2026 pursuant to state funding. The state has not yet allocated funding, leaving each district to determine its own pathway forward. Many school districts were ahead of the legislation and have had Ethnic Studies classes as options for their students for several years.

The “ESMC” refers to the California state-approved Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum adopted in 2021.

Model curriculum projects are initiated in response to specific legislation calling for a state-developed curriculum in a specified topic or disciplinary area of study. The ESMC was created under the supervision of the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC). As stated in its preface, the ESMC helps build the capacity for every young Californian to develop a social consciousness and knowledge that will contribute to the public good and, as a result, strengthen democracy. The ESMC serves as the model for the content shared on this website.

AB 2016, authored by California Assembly member Luis A. Alejo, tasked the IQC to develop, and the SBE to adopt, modify, or revise, a model curriculum in Ethnic Studies. In 2019, the IQC appointed a committee to draft the model curriculum. After two years and four drafts, the SBE approved the ESMC in March 2021, making it the model for Ethnic Studies content development and coursework for K-12 education.

The History Social–Science Framework for California Public Schools (K-12) defines Ethnic Studies in the following passages:

Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that encompasses many subject areas including history, literature, economics, sociology, anthropology, and political science. It emerged to both address content considered missing from traditional curriculum and to encourage critical engagement.

As a field, Ethnic Studies seeks to empower all students to engage socially and politically and to think critically about the world around them. It is important for ethnic studies courses to document the experiences of people of color in order for students to construct counter-narratives and develop a more complex understanding of the human experience. Through these studies, students should develop respect for cultural diversity and see the advantages of inclusion.

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this field, Ethnic Studies courses may take several forms. However, central to any Ethnic Studies course is the historic struggle of communities of color, taking into account the intersectionality of identity (gender, class, sexuality, among others), to challenge racism, discrimination, and oppression and interrogate the systems that continue to perpetuate inequality.

California is the first state in the nation to mandate Ethnic Studies as a high school graduation requirement. Rooted in a movement that began in the late 1960’s—notably at San Francisco State College, UC Berkeley, and UCLA—the California State Legislature adopted Ethnic Studies as a high school graduation requirement in 2021. Ethnic Studies is also being developed for and integration into K-12 coursework in all school districts throughout California.

Ethnic Studies developed from grassroots student movements called the Third World Liberation Front. These students went on strike to organize for the creation of interdisciplinary Ethnic Studies programs and departments to ensure their histories, cultures, and narratives were taught seriously. The core groups the movement worked to integrate into academic programs and college curriculum were African/Black American, Chicanx/Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, and Indigenous/Native American. These groups remain the core of Ethnic Studies education at the college level.

For the K-12 level, the California State Legislature and the CDE have broadened Ethnic Studies to include learning about all racially and ethnically marginalized Americans. This is important because whereas college courses are self-selecting (students can usually choose to opt in), public education requirements reach all enrolled students regardless of personal interest, identity, needs, or background.

The Curriculum Innovation Fellowship is a professional development opportunity for exemplary California public high school teachers. It exists to recognize exceptional educators, amplify effective classroom practice, and build a growing collection of high-quality, classroom-tested Ethnic Studies resources for districts, teachers, and educational programs across the state.

Selected Fellows help shape a growing library of educator-created instructional materials and receive:

• Designation as an ES Resources Ethnic Studies Curriculum Innovation Fellow

• Monetary award ($1,000 – $750 – $500)

• Professional development spending funds for select programs and opportunities

• Publication of curricular materials on this website

• A professional educator profile page on ESResources.org and a fellowship certificate.

• Opportunities to connect with educators and leaders across the field, including consideration for future mentoring and curriculum development initiatives, invitations to contribute as featured educators in workshops, speaker series, and professional learning opportunities, and an invitation to the Education Leaders Summit—an annual convening attended by more than 100 educational leaders from across Los Angeles County.
  

To learn more and apply, visit the Curriculum Innovation Fellowship page. For questions, email contact@esresources.org.

Absolutely! In-service California public high school teachers may apply for and receive $500 once per semester to fund materials and experiences that help foster a positive Ethnic Studies education, including:

• Professional development

• Curriculum workshops

• Class field trips

• Guest speakers

• Classroom learning materials

The project for which you are requesting funds must utilize and/or propose a way to implement one or more resources shared on this site.

Limited school budgets, logistical challenges, and other factors make it difficult for educators to access the types of educational experiences, activities, and opportunities they seek for themselves and their students. Jewish Federation Los Angeles offers grant funding to support vibrant and robust Ethnic Studies teaching and learning.

To learn more about eligibility and apply, visit the grant application page.

The ES Resources Educator Bulletin is a monthly publication where you can discover opportunities to bring new stories, materials, and perspectives into your classroom each month.

Every Educator Bulletin features curated Ethnic Studies instructional resources—multimedia classroom activities, interdisciplinary teaching tools, lesson plans, and spotlights for heritage month celebrations.

Each issue explores identity and memory across communities through storytelling, history, and cultural artifacts.

You can explore our recent issues on the Educator Bulletin page under About Us, and sign up to receive the monthly email.

We invite you to contribute to the field by adding more resources to this site. To do so, click the “+ Add A Resource” button in the top of your screen and follow the prompts. All resource submissions will be evaluated prior to posting.

ESResources.org is an initiative of Jewish Federation Los Angeles (JFEDLA) in collaboration with a diverse group of educators, resource partners, and community partners who share our interest in strengthening communities with vibrant spaces for learning, growing, and improving the cross-cultural, racial, and ethnic landscapes of California.

Rooted in our Jewish values of education, social justice, loving our neighbors, repairing the world, and communal responsibility, this endeavor is meant to support educators as they work with students to uplift the history, narratives, and experiences of all marginalized Americans who, historically, have not seen themselves fully or accurately represented within K-12 curricula.

Jewish Federation Los Angeles (“JFEDLA”) supports AB 101 and the teaching of diverse cultures, history, and narratives as outlined in the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum and applied in the ESMC Lesson Plans. JFEDLA recognizes the benefit of an Ethnic Studies education for all students. ESResources.org is one element of our support for K-12 teachers in the field. To learn more, you can visit jewishla.org.