D.C. Area Events
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For national conferences and institutes see the Teaching for Change calendar.
What to Expect This School Year
This overview maps out our school-year events. Check back for links to upcoming programs as they go live. See more upcoming events below.
August
August 29, 2026: Social Justice Curriculum Fair 2026 (in-person)
November
November 7, 2026: Native Knowledge 360° Teach-in (online)
April
September
Sept 26, 2026: Native Knowledge 360° Teach-in (in-person in Washington, D.C.)
January
October
Oct 5–9, 2026: Teach Central America Week
February
February 1–5, 2027: Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action
Upcoming Events
A [New] American Dream
A [New] American Dream won't give you the answers. Join curator Philippa Pham Hughes and the Heurich House Museum for a series of gatherings from May 20th - August 7th, 2026 as America (and DC) enters its 250th year.
America 433+ Teach-In
TFC co-sponsored event | Join us this Juneteenth from 1–4pm at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park for a teach-in on how our shared stories are being erased, censored, or manipulated at our national parks, and what we can do to protect them.
TONI x 2: How Bambara and Morrison Reshaped the Literary Landscape
Join March On! for TONI x 2: How Bambara and Morrison Reshaped the Literary Landscape — an afternoon exploring the powerful creative connection between two of the most influential figures in American literary history: Toni Cade Bambara and Toni Morrison.
Black Music Month Celebration Summit
DCAESJ Partner Event: In honor of Black Music Month, DC Black MBA, 5 Starr Entertainment, and IN THE LOOP Program of Success are hosting a Music Matters Summit designed to give youth interested in music an opportunity to learn from some leaders in the music industry here in the DMV.
Maryland Humanities Summer Institute 2026: Dissent!
Haunted by the ruptures of the world around us, the theme for this year’s Maryland Humanities Summer Institute is “Dissent!”
Next250 National Mobilization
Join Next250 in Washington, DC on June 27 to reimagine what our nation can become.
CHOCOLATE: Screening at The Go-Go Museum & Café
Join the iconic Go-Go Museum & Cafe for a special screening of CHOCOLATE: A Motion-Poetry Homage to Black D.C., a lyrical short film honoring the people and resilience of Black D.C.
Lets Get Free March & Concert
On July 9, Center for Popular Democracy invites everyone to march in Washington, D.C. on the anniversary of the 14th Amendment, the moment when “We the People” expanded.
FILM SCREENING: Las Muertes Más Bellas del Mundo
DCAESJ Partner Event:
A film about the Salvadoran diaspora in Washington, D.C. through the eyes of Salvadoran artists.
Jazzy Sundays in Anacostia
Presented by the Anacostia BID and DCity Smokehouse, Jazzy Sundays returns after an incredible first season that proved one thing: this is exactly what the people want.
Dave Zirin — The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn
Politics and Prose will host author Dave Zirin to talk about his forthcoming biography of historian Howard Zinn.
The People’s Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn
DCAESJ Event | Join us at Busboys and Poets with author Dave Zirin. He will be in conversation with Jessica A. Rucker to introduce a new biography of Howard Zinn.
2026 Social Justice Curriculum Fair
Pre-K–12 educators are invited to connect in person while exploring curriculum that challenges students to be critical thinkers and active community members.
Contemporary Central American Voices
DCAESJ Event | Join us at Busboys and Poets for our third annual conversation with contemporary Central American authors, featuring Anna Lapera, John Manuel Arias, Ana Patricia Rodríguez, and Jared Lemus.
2026 Native Knowledge 360° Teach-In
TFC Event | Save the date for this in-person teach-in hosted at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington D.C.
2026 ONLINE Native Knowledge 360° Teach-In
TFC Event | Save the date for this ONLINE teach-in hosted in partnership with the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).
Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the Fifa Greed Machine
TFC Partner Event | Author Jules Boykoff joins us to share about “the longstanding problems with the Olympics, the persisting erosion of leadership in the Olympic Movement, and the consequences and impact for all involved” (Harry Edwards, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley).
Beyond Compensation: A Book Talk and Signing with Dr. Terence Ngwa
TFC Partner Event | Attend this event to hear from Dr. Terence Ngwa on his new book, Beyond Compensation: Empowering Teachers' Unions to Think Beyond Bread-and-Butter Issues.
DC Dox Festival
TFC Co-Sponsored Event | DC/DOX returns to Washington, DC, June 11–14 for its fourth edition, celebrating bold storytelling and the power of documentary. Experience 100+ new films, plus panels, workshops, and special events.
Robin Broad & John Cavanagh — The Water Defenders: How Ordinary People Saved a Country from Corporate Greed
Broad and Cavanagh will be in conversation with Tope Folarin about their acclaimed book The Water Defenders, which tells the story of activists in San Isidro, El Salvador, who fought multinational mining corporation OceanaGold and won.
Protest: Respect It, Defend It, Use It
TFC Partner Event | Co-authors Annie Leonard and André Carothers join us alongside two local protest experts, Nadine Bloch and Deepa Padmanabha, to celebrate the release of Protest: Respect It, Defend It, Use It and talk about the power of individuals coming together to make real change.
Parent & Youth Town Hall
Meeting on Curfew and Peace.
Join the Go-Go Museum for a no-judgment, honest conversation about youth violence, curfew, parental resources, and accountability.
Founder's Day Celebration
TFC Partner Event | Join the African American Civil War Memorial Museum for a vibrant Founder’s Day Celebration honoring the birth of the United States Colored Troops. Enjoy live music, a pop-up exhibit, and an evening of community and reflection.
Our DC, Our Culture: Arts & Culture Mayoral Candidate Forum
TFC Co-Sponsored Event | We’re excited to partner on Our DC, Our Culture: Arts & Culture Mayoral Candidate Forum, broadcast live on WPFW 89.3 FM on May 1 at 5 - 6 PM and on May 5 from 3-5 pm. Tune in to learn where your mayoral candidate stands on DC’s art and culture community!
Our DC, Our Culture: Arts & Culture Mayoral Candidate Forum
TFC Co-Sponsored Event | We’re excited to partner on Our DC, Our Culture: Arts & Culture Mayoral Candidate Forum, broadcast live on WPFW 89.3 FM on May 1 at 5 - 6 PM and on May 5 from 3-5 pm. Tune in to learn where your mayoral candidate stands on DC’s art and culture community!
May Day 2026 Noon March and Rally
The centerpiece of May Day will be a march and rally beginning at the Washington Monument at 12 PM. Led by immigrant workers in solidarity with labor unions and community members, we’ll take action together to make it clear we reject this administration’s attacks on workers, immigrants, and our communities.
DC History Conference
TFC Partner Event | The 52nd DC History Conference will cover topics important to Washingtonians: activism and advocacy, LGBTQ+ communities, education, environment, local culture, religion, design, and more.
Application Deadline: Summer Graphic Novel Project
Shout Mouse Press, in partnership with the National Museum of Women in the Arts, is now accepting applications for a summer writing workshop for girls and gender-expansive youth of color (ages 12-16) in the DC area. Participants will collaborate on writing and publishing a graphic novel set in a fictional middle school.
The Minutes
THE MINUTES is a darkly hilarious, slow-burning thriller that peels back the patriotic veneer of American identity. Part biting satire, part psychological mystery, it exposes the rot at the heart of institutional power and the stories we tell to survive it.
DC Emancipation Day 2026: Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation Campus Walking Tour
Save the Date for an annual walking tour of campus buildings and sites with connections to Georgetown’s history and ongoing work in Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation.
Filmfest DC 2026
Washington, DC's largest and longest-running international film festival celebrates four decades of global cinema. Teaching for Change is partnering with Filmfest DC to bring a limited number filmmakers into D.C. classrooms April 20–24.
Freedom Was in Sight: Reconstruction as the Second Founding
A weeklong educators seminar at the National Museum of African American History and Culture from July 6–10 facilitated by the NMAAHC Teaching and Learning unit along with Reconstruction historian Kate Masur.
11th Annual Howard/Georgetown University Children and Youth Literature Workshop for Teachers
Celebrate the 11th annual Howard/Georgetown University Children and Youth Literature workshop for teachers.
That the Work This Time Shall Finally Be Done: The 14th Amendment & the Next Refounding
Join scholars, advocates, artists, and students for a day of conversation exploring the meaning of citizenship, equality, and democratic renewal in this constitutional moment.
Rest & Rise Night at the Museum: Class Action Exhibit
DCAESJ Partner Event | This free event is intended to gather Black educators and their families to connect with each other and with DC history.
Birthright Citizenship Rally at Supreme Court
Come and be a part of history, and make your voice heard.
Lessons in Leadership Speakers Series with Dr. Terry Scott and Dr. David Domke
Join the Frederick Douglass Center for Leadership Through the Humanities on March 31 at University of Maryland as they host Dr. Terry Scott and Dr. David Domke, who left their tenured positions in the academy to lead The Institute for Common Power, which catalyzes people from education to action through experiential learning opportunities to foster a firm commitment to the right to vote.
Black Out Loud with Geoff Bennett and Darryl Bell
What if the most important conversations about race, identity, and American values happened in comedy clubs and on television sets?
A People’s History Trivia Night
TFC Event | Are you a people’s history buff? Join us for a fun night of questions and answers about the history often missing from textbooks.
2026 Walter Awards
The DC Public Library is excited to welcome We Need Diverse Books in presenting the 11th annual Walter Awards.
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Dorothy I. Height
Join DC Public Library for a Pop-Up Exhibit of a woman who educated & inspired generations!
Screening of "Counted Out"
DCAESJ Event | Join us for a screening of "Counted Out," a documentary revealing how math and algorithms determine who has power in the 21st century.
Celebrating Women Writers: A Literary Salon
Join National Women's Foundation and Esther Productions Inc. for an inspiring evening celebrating the voices and stories of amazing women writers.
RALLY: A Day Without DC Child Care
DC’s child care system, once a national model in early education, is now crumbling. Join the rally and demand the child care funding that families and early educators need!
LAC Young People's Opportunity Forum
Rescheduled Due to Weather. Join us for the Legal Action Center's No Health = No Justice Initiative their Young People’s Opportunity Forum.