Our Local History's mission is to support and empower students, teachers, and communities with the tools to engage with and own their local history of civil rights through inquiry, equity, and civic action. The program provides free, open-source educational materials related to the local history of racist policies and resistance in Greater Rochester and other places across New York State. These materials are designed to promote equity and civic engagement through education about the systemic racism faced by Black and Latinx communities, as well as LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups.

Our Local History's reach spans K-12 school districts, universities, professional sectors like real estate and banking, and community organizations involved in housing, social justice, and community development. With new staff expanding engagement, the program is building deeper, long-term partnerships to drive sustained, systemic change across the region. This local history project is ultimately owned and shared by the community, recognizing it as a collective story. By encouraging learners to explore and interpret their local history through primary sources, Our Local History equips them to be critical consumers of information and to support their claims with evidence. Ultimately, the program aims to cultivate a more informed and engaged community to build a more just and equitable society.

Driven by our Core Purpose, we tell the stories of our past to build and create a more equitable and just future. We do this in line with our values: leading with Inquiry through curiosity and intentional dialogue, and prioritizing Equity by learning from our past to design a just future. We believe in Connection before content, a philosophy that allows us to drive Action as we empower partners to take action.

For more information about the curriculum materials, or details about teacher and professional development related to these materials, please contact our co-directors, Sydney Bell (sbell@ccsi.org) and Shane Wiegand (swiegand@ccsi.org).

Schedule a meeting with Syd and Shane using our Calendly Link