D.C. Area Events
Filter Events: All Events / BLM at School / Our Meetings / Application Deadlines
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.
August
Aug 23: Social Justice Curriculum Fair (in-person)
September
Sept 20: Native Knowledge 360° Teach-in (in-person in NYC)
October
Oct 6–10: Teach Central America Week
November
Nov 8: Native Knowledge 360° Teach-in (virtual)
March–April
International Filmfest D.C. Classroom Visits
January & February
Black Lives Matter at School Resource Fair (in-person) and Curriculum Fair (virtual/in-person)
February
February 2–6: Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action
Upcoming Events

Freedom Nights: SNCC Film Screening
DCAESJ Partner Event | Join Project STAND for a night of powerful documentary documenting the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Commemoration of the Salvadoran Student Massacre of 1975
Join the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) and La Chiltota to learn about historic and contemporary resistance in El Salvador.

National History Day in DC Summer Intensive
Application Deadline (TFC Partner) | This three-day professional development workshop provides educators of grades 6-12 with a crash course on launching and growing National History Day in classrooms and school communities. Apply today.

Bellevue’s 13th Annual Back to School Bash
DCAESJ Partner Event | Celebrate the 13th Annual Back to School Bash, a free event all about bringing the community together and making sure our kids start the year off strong, healthy, confident, and supported.

Teaching Through Storytelling: One-Day Workshop for Capitol Hill Educators
DCAESJ Partner Event | Application Deadline July 23 This workshop focuses on educational storytelling—giving you practical tools you can bring straight into your classroom. You’ll help students express themselves, build trust, and connect with one another through story.

11th Annual Chuck Brown Day
Join the largest celebration of Go-Go at the historic Summer Stage at Fort Dupont.

2025 Social Justice Curriculum Fair
DCAESJ Event | REGISTER TODAY for the annual Social Justice Curriculum Fair, an opportunity for D.C. area educators to connect in person while exploring curriculum aligned with various social justice themes.

Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back
Police Against the Movement shatters one of the most pernicious myths about the 1960s: that the civil rights movement endured police violence without fighting it.

Grand Reopening of the African American Civil War Memorial Museum
TFC Partner Event | Grand Reopening of the African American Civil War Memorial Museum.

Teach the District
Application Deadline (TFC Partner) | Looking for (paid) summer opportunities? If you’re a 3rd-12th grade educator in DC, the Teach the District program might be just the right fit!


Teaching to Transgress: Humanities Summer Institute
Inspired by the legacy and enduring significance of the insurgent Black feminist writer and teacher, bell hooks, the theme for this year’s Humanities Summer Institute is “Teaching to Transgress.”

Youth v. Trump Event in DC: Children's Climate Rights Resolution Press Conference
Youth are leading once again by taking on the Trump administration and its anti-clean energy and anti-climate science directives that attack our children, our scientific institutions, the rule of law, and our democracy.

Summer Institute for Teachers: Arts and Belonging
DCAESJ Partner Event | Explore how the arts can be a catalyst to build belonging in your classroom in this summer’s week-long teacher institute.

Harvesting Justice: Cultivating a Future for DC Schools
TFC Partner Event | Join CARE D.C. at Harvesting Justice on July 10—an event rooted in love, equity, and the fight for better schools in DC. Let’s build something real for our kids.

Freedom Was in Sight: Exploring Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C. Region (Educator Professional Learning)
Join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deep dive into the era of Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C. region.

The Annual Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival
The Family Carnival is one of the most anticipated events of the Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival — a full day of celebration, performances, and unforgettable memories.

Juneteenth at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park
Join the Woodlawn Manor cultural park for special museum hours Thursday, June 19 from 10am to 4pm.

Special Opening - Juneteenth at Josiah Henson Museum and Park
What better way to celebrate Juneteenth than to visit the museum dedicated the man, Reverend Josiah Henson, who traveled along the Underground Railroad freeing 118 former enslaved persons.

National Juneteenth Festival
TFC Partner Event | Celebrate Juneteenth at the African American Civil War Memorial

Book Talk
TFC Partner event | Join the DC History Center and The People's Archive for a book talk about language, community, and identity formation for Latinx immigrants in Chocolate City.

Go-Go on the Rooftop
The beat is back on this summer at the Go-Go on the Rooftop Concert Series at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library!

Family Day: Josiah Henson Birthday Celebration
Kick off your Juneteenth Week by joining the Josiah Henson Museum and Park to celebrate Josiah Henson’s birthday on June 15th!

The Librarians at DC/DOX25
DCAESJ Co-Sponsored Event | Join the DC/DOX festival for the world premiere of The Librarians, a powerful documentary on the chilling story of book bans in Texas and the fight against censorship.

Trans History: A Graphic Novel | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Join Bus Boys & Poets and explore an essential introduction to trans history, from ancient times to the present day, in full-color graphic nonfiction format

DC/DOX Festival
DCAESJ Co-Sponsored Event | Join DC/DOX from June 12–15 for powerful documentaries that uplift truth in education. We’re proud to partner on a Teach Truth Day of Action screening of The Librarian.

2025 DC Teacher Voice Award and Benefit
DCAESJ Partner Event | Join EmpowerEd at the 2025 DC Teacher Voice Awards & Benefit. Educators are rising to the occasion and EmpowerEd is celebrating them and their mission and accomplishments.

DMV SquaDD Presents: Eyes on the Prize Documentary Screening
Join DMV Dream Defenders for our screening of the HBO docuseries "Eyes on the Prize III, Episode 6: What Comes After Hope?"

Maryland Teach Truth Day of Action
Join a range of #TeachTruth activities at Pike Kitchen Food Hall. There will be a non-fiction book swap (bring a book, take a book), photo booth, art station, rally, and interactive Teach Truth pop-up display.

Teach Truth March from NMAAHC to NMAI
DCAESJ Event | A walk/march from the National Museum of African American History Culture (NMAAHC) to National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), to highlight the censorship of history in schools and museums.

The Light Looks Like Me: Words on Love from Queer Youth
TFC Partner Event | Shout Mouse Press celebrates the publication of The Light Looks Like Me: Words on Love by Queer Youth, a multi-genre anthology exploring LGBTQ+ love.

Freadom Town Hall & Rally
TFC Co-Sponsored Event | Authors, educators, parents, and artists including Kwame Alexander, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, will gather to stand-up for creative expression, access to all books, and the freedom to learn.

National Community Care Circle for School Staff (Virtual)
From student crises to district mandates, educators are holding more than ever with less support than ever. This 90-minute virtual Community Care Circle allows school staff to exhale, connect, and remember: you're not in this alone.

Song of Sons Opening Dedication
Join The Nicholson Project in celebrating the opening of Song of Sons, a new public art installation by Nate Langston Palmer.

Special Screenings of Award Winning Historical Documentary Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round
Join Avalon Theatre for their screening of Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round. This movie tells the untold story of the first organized interracial civil rights protest in U.S. history.

A PROTEST HISTORY OF THE U.S. | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Join Busboys and Poets to explore 400 years of protest and resistance in U.S. history – and what the unsung heroes of social movements past can teach us about navigating our chaotic world.

Black Teachers: A Pedagogy of Organized Resistance
Online event with historians Jarvis Givens and Imani Perry in conversation with Teaching for Black Lives co-editor Jesse Hagopian and Rethinking Schools executive director Cierra Kaler-Jones. They will discuss the Black Teacher Archive.

F2L National Week Of Action: DC Activation
This May 3rd, fight for the Freedom to Learn and multiracial democracy!

May 1 Rally: National Day of Action
Join NEA and Casa de Maryland at Lafayette Park on May 1st to make our voices heard for better, safer, stronger communities.