Educate To Empower NY

Join Educate to Empower in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! AAPIHM is a month-long commemoration of the history, culture, contributions and achievements of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. This lesson provides an opportunity for middle and high school students to learn about the origins of AAPIHM, explore demographics about the AAPI community, and consider ways that AAPIHM should be commemorated in schools and communities.

Join us this month in honoring Jewish American Heritage Month! JAHM is a celebration of Jewish history, people and culture. In this lesson for elementary school, students will learn about Jewish American Heritage Month and its historical context, read and discuss books about Jewish history, culture and achievements, and will consider ideas for celebrating JAHM in May and throughout the year.

Chag Sameach to all of our Jewish students and educators! Educate to Empower wishes you a meaningful Passover that's full of renewal and hope.

As we reflect on the story of Passover as a journey towards liberation, we are grateful for the power of education as a tool against oppression. We encourage our school communities to continue to stand against hate and injustice. Thank you for all of the work that you do, and we hope today is special and impactful.

April is Arab American Heritage Month, and we’re proud to share a new lesson plan designed to celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Arab Americans. We invite you to explore how to bring inclusive and dynamic conversations on SWANA (Southwest Asia North Africa) identity and how NAAHM can be commemorated in schools and communities.

Today, we recognize National Transgender Day of Visibility: a time to celebrate the lives and resilience of transgender and nonbinary people in our communities. Educate to Empower continues to stand in support of the trans community and actively seeks to make educational spaces where trans and nonbinary students and educators thrive.

With increasing numbers of legislature and school policy targeting trans and nonbinary students across the country, this work is more important than ever. Join us today and everyday in uplifting trans voices, challenging cissexism, and creating a more inclusive future for all.

Today at sundown, Eid ended. Following a month of fasting, prayer, and spiritual growth, Eid is marked by gathering with loved ones, sharing meals, and celebrating the strength and resilience found in faith and community.

Eid reminds us that inclusion is a practice. One that calls us to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the rich diversity of cultures, traditions, and lived experiences that shape our world.

To all who celebrated this month, we see you, and we wish you continued peace and joy in the days ahead.

Eid Mubarak. 💛

*NEW High School Lesson* - ICE Actions and Our Constitutional Rights

In late 2025 and early 2026, a large-scale immigration enforcement effort known as “Operation Metro Surge” brought national attention to events in Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota. The operation, led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), resulted in thousands of arrests and sparked serious concerns about civil rights, and constitutional protections.
This powerful, timely lesson helps students:
• Understand the First and Fourth Amendments
• Examine real-world events through a constitutional lens
• Reflect on the role individuals and communities play in challenging injustice

This lesson invites students to think critically about the balance between law enforcement and our constitutional liberties and what it means to stand up for our rights in today’s world.

Download the lesson now on our website and bring these important conversations into your classroom.

March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the many women who have helped shape our communities and our world. This month is more than a celebration, it’s a reminder to take time to honor the courage, resilience, and brilliance of the women who came before us and to uplift the voices of women today so we can work toward a future where opportunity, equity, and respect are shared by all.

As we reflect on the past, we also look forward, so that we may support and empower the next generation of girls and young women to lead, innovate, and change the world.

Check out our NEW Elementary Lesson plan on our website entitled- Women’s History Month: Stories of Courage, Care and Change. This lesson utilizes powerful children’s books to help teach about many courageous, brilliant women.

Congratulations to the Wswhe Boces on their second annual Student Summit! We were proud to partner with them and provide the educational content for their conference. Together, we welcomed over 150 students and educators from 25 local middle schools and high schools.

Our facilitators led conversations on exploring personal identities, ways to stand up to hate, and how to assess the school community to make it more inclusive so everyone can feel a sense of belonging.

WSWHE BOCES schools modeled what we hope to see with every school we partner with: a commitment to uplifting student voices, creating safer schools for all, and building an educational community where every student feels welcomed and accepted.

If your school or organization is interested in bringing us in to lead these conversations on a broader scale, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are happy to partner and provide the content and facilitators to make it happen

Happy International Women's Day!

This year's theme inspires all of us at Educate to Empower: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls."

Every day, we see women and girls who are leading, teaching, learning, and transforming our school communities. Today is both a celebration of their legacy and call to action. We remain committed to intersectional feminism that lifts up ALL women. This International Women's Day, we ask that your equity and inclusion work ensures that the many pieces that make up our identity alongside girlhood and womanhood —from race, culture, disability, and more— impact your feminist practice. Together, we'll make safer and more inclusive school communities for our students.

Join us in becoming changemakers and celebrating the women and girls in our school communities today!