Impact

Tens of thousands of teachers in every state in the United States access people’s history lessons from the Zinn Education Project website. An average of 20 to 30 or more sign up every day. They find classroom lessons (many are from Rethinking Schools) and support. They join a network of teachers committed to teaching outside the textbook. Below is an overview of engagement with the Zinn Education Project website as of June 2024, along with other recent updates.

Lesson Downloads
696,734
Registrations
164,276
Unique Visitors
12,795,873
Social Reach
593,956

Teachers Report Back

 

I’ve used the Zinn Education Project’s materials since my first year teaching.

Nine years later, my students can speak to the power of deconstructing the narratives of Christopher Columbus and Abraham Lincoln’s efforts that have replicated white supremacy and marginalization of people of color in historical discourse.

For many of them, it is empowering to learn from multiple perspectives and invigorates their desire to learn and disrupt the status quo.

—Corey Winchester
High School History Teacher, Evanston, Illinois
Juveriya Mir at NCSS 2018 (Event Photo) | Zinn Education Project

The Zinn Education Project helps me bring multiple perspectives in my classroom and allows me to teach history fairly and accurately. Our history is not perfect, it’s progress. We won’t move forward without understanding the full picture of our past.

Textbooks alone cannot provide that. Resources like the Zinn Education Project give us a window into the past that helps teachers explain the view from the shore and the view from the boat for example.

—Juveriya Mir
High School Social Studies Teacher, Villa Park, Illinois

When I do the Christopher Columbus lesson, the students are blown away. They are usually so surprised at the truth behind Columbus. They also love the role-playing. This year, when I was doing the lesson, my assistant principal walked in just as one of the students who usually sits quietly during social studies was standing up and asking a fiery round of questions to the defendants on the stand. I was so impressed with it. The lesson also gets students who I usually don’t get a lot of participation out of to debate with the students who I do. I love it!

—Chris Olsen
Middle Social Studies Teacher, Chicago, Illinois

Read more about What Teachers are Saying >>

Growth in Total Teacher Registrations

The number of teachers registered for the Zinn Education Project has grown from 4,000 in 2008 to almost 150,000 today.

(Data as of September 2023)

Our Reach Across the United States

Teachers are signed up to access people’s history lessons from every state and territory in the United States and internationally.

(Data as of November 2023)

Estimated Number of Students Reached Each Year:

Deal Middle School Class | Zinn Education Project

Every year, millions of students are impacted by lessons and resources provided to teachers by the Zinn Education Project.

Your Impact: Where Your Donation Goes

Our annual operating costs are broken out below: