>> The Fairfax County's black African American experience
project includes the collecting of black African American
stories. The history marker project
and Fairfax County public schools, history, marker
project based learning experience.
Welcome Ramona and Alicia, thank you, Michelle. Happy to
be here. Glad to have you been on a let's go ahead and get
started. Please share the county's efforts to share the
black African American experience.
>> Thank you, Michelle. I'm really excited to share the
Fairfax County is going to be collecting the personal stories
of County residents to increase the visibility of black African
American experiences in the county and we're talking about
things like communities, families, education, these
distant justice innovation entrepreneurship
anything that's going to really share about lived experiences
here in Fairfax County. And we're looking for stories from
current residents and residents who used to live here. So if
you are someone who lives in Fairfax County. You have family
members who now have moved away and they would like to share
their story. This is the opportunity to share are rich
storytelling our history so that we're able to have a full
comprehensive view, a Fairfax County and the African American
black and African American experience.
We'll be collecting the stories ongoing. So hopefully if you
haven't already received information about how to share
your story. You can definitely e-mail black history committee
at Fairfax County dot gov for more information and we'll make
sure that that information is sent out to you see are able to
share your story
a second way that we are hoping to elevate the presence or the
visibility of African Americans in Fairfax County is through
the history. Marker project. Very happy to be working with
Fairfax County public schools in this initiative to get
families and communities and students involved in Marcus
submission. So we're looking for and this this particular
project itself will run from February 1st until March 31st.
And this is an opportunity for students K through 12 in
Fairfax County to submit
suggested submissions for history marker and this can be
one student by themselves. It could be a classroom that
decides to come together and do this or it could be a community
youth groups could be a church group, could be a Girl Scout
troop. They could be a Boy Scout. You any group this
saying we would like to look more and to and to help elevate
until stories of african-americans Fairfax
County through history, marker submission process. So we'll be
good again. Collecting those submissions from February 1st
and to March 31st. And at that time, then the submissions will
be reviewed and then those who meet the criteria will be
forwarded on for for the consideration by our history
Commission. So just looking forward to having community
members really get active and sharing their stories and also
thinking about historical
places peoples and in events to made want to highlight in
Fairfax County. So just it excited for this opportunity
for
the sheriffs to share more stories about the
african-american experience in Fairfax County.
>> It does sound really exciting. I do love that.
Everybody. No matter their age can participate in sharing
these experiences and work collaboratively in the interest
in hear stories. The students come up with the bat. What they
suggest. Yes. Thank you so much.
>> Alisa. What tell us more about the project based
learning experience. Absolutely fcps social studies is so
excited to be a part of this partnership and to support this
effort. And so we're starting with the historical marker
project based learning experience that we're inviting
all students that reside in Fairfax County to be a part of
really excited just to give students an opportunity to
think like historias. So there's no longer just the
memorization of dates and events and people. But more so
engage in critical thinking banchory research and also
evaluating primary and secondary sources. So we're
really intentional and using the project based learning my
thought methodology where students are unpacking a
complex problem and they're going through a variety of
different skills to try to solve that problem. And in
Korea is one of the most critical skills as well as
critical thinking.
So what the project based learning experience, what we
provided are some resources for teachers to access for
classrooms, but also resources that those who are not enrolled
in fcps can have access to. So for anyone rolled in private
school or private schools or teachers that teach in private
schools. Any one part of homeschool programs. We'll have
access to these resources were really intentional and making
sure they were developmentally appropriate. So resources are
available for grades, 4 through 12.
And so you have an opportunity there to again, maybe the
dinner table start to have some conversations about history and
research in the historical markers. And this is just the
beginning. Providing these top opportunities for students.
And so I would just say that we're super happy about this
opportunity
and we're looking forward to this ongoing partnership and
making sure we can lift up the stories of all people who are
part of the local history here in Fairfax and really excited
to kick this off. But black and African American history
starting off for Black History Month but also continue with
what that the untold stories and to uncover the stories,
whether their oral histories. Our history says haven't made
it to the textbook. So looking forward to it. And again,
really happy to be a part of this partnership.
>> That's so awesome. Sounds like a great opportunity.
I think finding the resources is a great motivator to keep
continue to look for more resources. So thank you for
making that available for all the students and teachers.
Thank you for Mona and Ali ship for sharing the opportunities
for the community to engage in into support. The black African
American experience project.
If you have additional questions or want more
information
on how to get involved. Please look at the information on the
screen there. How and we look forward to engagement.
Thank you.