As an Editorial Director at Facing History, Ambria leads the creation of social studies content. Prior to joining Facing History, she held teaching and educational leadership positions in New York City and Denver. Get to know her and the great work that she does for Facing History!
What drew you towards this work?
I was drawn to working at Facing History from my time as a teacher—Denver Public Schools had worked with Facing History using its Reconstruction unit. I also attended a Holocaust and Human Behavior professional development seminar. Through these experiences, Facing History became a huge part of my practice, shaping and informing my thoughts as a teacher, and eventually, how I plan curriculums for other teachers.
You’re one of the creators of our US History Collection: Democracy and Freedom— can you share how the idea for this collection came about? How do you think it serves educators and students in today’s world?
My colleagues Rachel Johnson, Dan Swigard, and Tanya Huelett were responsible for the initial stages of this collection. My role was getting it across the finish line and ensuring the pieces fit cohesively. The collection gives educators a fresh look at topics they have likely taught before, but with different perspectives and through a lens of freedom. I’ve always thought of Facing History as giving unique perspectives and stories that textbooks can’t fully explore.
Can you share with us a story highlighting the value of the work you and your team are doing?
An important part of our work is the social studies Teacher Advisory Board, which is a group of 30 educators who meet with the content development team quarterly to provide input for our upcoming resources. In addition, they sometimes present with us at conferences and webinars, review materials, and test resources in their classrooms. Highlighting teacher voices and expertise, especially in webinars and conferences, means a lot to us. It’s gratifying and valuable to see teachers build their leadership around the resources and offer real world examples of how our curriculum works in our classrooms. I love working with teachers and helping spotlight their expertise and inspiring work.
What’s next in store for social studies at FH?
We are currently wrapping up our final touches on our Civic Learning curriculum. It will launch later this summer and continue to expand throughout the next year. The curriculum looks closely at how people make choices in a democracy and how we can all participate and make a difference in our own democracy.
