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EVERFI Launches Black History Month Challenge to Promote Youth Education on Race, Equity

The company’s latest digital learning initiative aims to inspire students and spark critical conversations and learning around race and equity, year-round.

Published 4 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Image: Mary Taylor/Pexels

Leading social impact education innovator EVERFI. today launched a Black History Month Challenge, to support youth education on race and equity. The Challenge, taking place this month, is a first-of-its-kind national competition to help middle- and high-school students across the United States understand the Black experience through perspectives, successes, and struggles — and keep the Black history conversation and learning going all year long.

Designed to inspire today’s students by telling stories about the African American experience, the Black History Month Challenge will empower students through the sharing and counter-storytelling of Black perspectives across generations, elevate history as a lens to understand current events, and transform students’ perception of the world around them.

The Challenge is built around material from EVERFI’s 306: Continuing the Story – Black History Curriculum, a recent extension to the company’s original 306: African American History course that was launched in 2013.

“For too long, Black history education has focused on a handful of memorable moments and events; and is often not viewed within the context of American history, but rather as a separate history lesson,” said Jesse Bridges, SVP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at EVERFI. “Understanding what has happened in our past and drawing connections to present-day events helps us better understand the world around us today.”

Students participating in the Challenge will be guided through four digital lessons and complete a capstone essay in which they will share a plan for keeping the conversation about Black history going year-round in their community. Three winners will be chosen based on their essay and will receive college scholarships totaling $20,000. Students must be age 13 and older to participate in the essay contest.

“There are many significant events that have shaped Black history in the United States, and there is often more to the story than what we learn in textbooks. While we are launching this initiative in February, the goal of the Black History Month Challenge is to highlight the exceptional spirit of the Black community, illuminate the continued fight for equity, and spark critical conversations about social justice across the year,” Bridges said. “We are grateful for the organizations that have chosen to participate in this undertaking with us.”

The Black History Month Challenge is supported by companies including Altice USA (through its consumer brands Optimum and Suddenlink), Citizens, Principal; and sports organizations Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the NFL.

The Black History Curriculum will expose students to topics and events including Black history before slavery, the historical significance of Juneteenth and Black Wall Street, as well as the protests and marches for civil rights and equality. Students will also learn about Black business titans, the history behind the racial wealth gap, and how Black entrepreneurs and businesspeople are overcoming challenges, to name a few.

To learn more or participate in the Black History Challenge, visit BlackHistoryMonthChallenge.com.