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. See more upcoming events below.
August
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
POSTPONED to March 16: Native Knowledge 360° Teach-in (virtual)
March–April
International Filmfest D.C. Classroom Visits
March 16: Native Knowledge 360° Teach-in (virtual)
January
January 10: Black Lives Matter at School Resource Exchange (in-person)
January 24: Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Fair (virtual)
February
February 2–6: Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action
Upcoming Events
Liberation Libations®
DCAESJ Partner Event | JoinBaltimore Transformative Learning Collective for their event series designed to cultivate community amongst educators.
Exhibit Opening at Garrison
Join The Story of Our Schools to celebrate their newest school story exhibit, and honor the deep history that surrounds Garrison Elementary.
Evening for Educators: Out of Many, One Classroom
Experience how art can spark dialogue, foster inclusion, and amplify diverse perspectives.
Children’s Africana Book Awards Ceremony 2025
TFC Partner Event | Join the Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) in honoring children’s and young adult books that promote understanding of Africa through compelling stories and accurate representation.
46th Charles H. Thompson Lecture with Keynote Dr. David Stovall
TFC Partner Event | Join the Charles H. Thompson Colloquium for Dr. David Stovall’s keynote address "We Cannot Forget the Assignment; Educational Freedom Fighting in Perilous Times."
DC Educator Organizing Summit
DCAESJ Partner Event | Build your organizing skills and policy knowledge to produce educator-led change in D.C. with EmpowerEd.
Screening of Award-Winning Documentary: American Agitators
American Agitators explores the remarkable life of Fred Ross, Sr. and a legacy of organizing for social justice that thrives today.
QUEEN MOTHER | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
From an award-winning historian of Black radical politics comes the definitive biography of Queen Mother Audley Moore--mother of modern Black Nationalism and trailblazer in the fight for reparations
Resource Exchange D.C. Area Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action
DCAESJ EVENT| Resource exchange for all D.C. area educators in preparation for the 2026 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (February 2–6, 2026).
A History Teach-In
Join in for a teach-in on the National Mall happening from sunup (6:30am) to sundown (7:30pm).
Model Schools in the Model City: A Book Talk with Amber N. Wiley
Join the DC History Center and Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives for a book talk about the history of Black public education and school architecture in the nation’s capital.
Rest + Rise Happy Hour for Black Educators
DCAESJ Partner Event | Join Rest + Rise for a special happy hour event for Black educators!
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.
Eradicating Anti-Black Racism in the DMV Conference
Join the Anti-Black Racism Initiative and the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace for the Eradicating Anti-Black Racism in the DMV Conference.
Barry Farm/Hillsdale: History Open Mic
Join Empower DC for their first Barry Farm/Hillsdale: History Open Mic. As part of the second event for the traveling Barry Farm Exhibit, share your stories about Barry Farm.
Recess at the Capitol
DC needs Congress to defeat the 16 bills attacking DC, reject the 20+ budget riders that would undo key laws, and pass bills that would expand DC's local power.
"Bright Before Us" Launch with Author Jason Reynolds
DCAESJ Partner Event | Celebrate Shout Mouse Press's new anthology, which features work from 10 years of SMP books & contributions from guest authors.
Immigration Detention Panel
Coming at a pivotal social and political moment, Immigration Detention Inc. makes the case for dismantling immigration detention regimes everywhere.
Mojitos y Maestros: 2025 DC Latiné Educator Story Lounge
DCAESJ Partner Event | EmpowerEd invites DC's Latiné educators to a night of community, celebration, and storytelling.
Award-winning Graphic Artist Pablo Leon Presents "Silenced Voices" and "Remember Me"
Join University of Maryland for Pablo Leon’s presentation of his new graphic novel Silenced Voices and short film Remember Me.
Litte City Concerts: Nen Daiko
A powerful, dynamic combination of drumming and movement with an ensemble rooted in the taiko traditions of Japan.
Street Law 101 Organizer Training
Join D.C. Collab to learn how you can protect yourself, stand up to police abuse, and support one another in your communities.
Freedom Nights: The Black Panthers
Engage in a conversation that explores Panthers’ survival programs, political repression (COINTELPRO), women in the Black Panther Party, and more.
Learning Environment: Author Talk
TFC Event | Join Teaching for Change at Busboys and Poets to learn about an award-winning environmental science teacher's actionable roadmap for educators
DC Organizing Festival
The festival will bring together 20 grassroots organizations from across D.C. and over 200 community members.
2025 National Book Festival
Check out more than 90 of the nation's best authors, poets and illustrators, who will discuss their work and answer your questions at the National Book Festival.
Back-to-School Happy Hour for Educators
DCAESJ Partner Event | EmpowerEd invites DC educators to their annual Back to School Happy Hour
"The Last Battlefront" Film Screening
Join Free D.C. for their screening of ”The Last Battlefront: Quest for the Vote in Washington, D.C.”
The Light Looks Like Us: An Intergenerational Conversation
DCAESJ Partner Event | Join Shout Mouse Press for a powerful afternoon of conversation & community with prominent DC poet and author Tony Keith Jr. and local youth authors from the newest anthology, The Light Looks Like Me: Words on Love from Queer Youth.
Popcorn & Politics
Join Empower D.C. for the launch of their new exhibit at Busboys & Poets.
Fire Work Screening
When the System sparks a fight, who dares to light the fuse? Join the Theater Alliance for their screenings of Fire Work
Solidarity Season: Labor Day 2025 Rally + March
Workers across the DC region need to be in solidarity with one another now more than ever before.
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.
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.
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.
Freedom Nights: SNCC Film Screening
DCAESJ Partner Event | Join Project STAND for a night of powerful documentary documenting the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
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.”