Schools in the Aiken County Public School District will offer Black History Month activities this year, with some adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Curriculum specialist Micki Dove said the school district provides a foundational curriculum that includes opportunities to learn about African American history throughout the school year, and that individual schools can make decisions on activities and offerings for Black History Month.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some students are attending fully virtual school, and others are attending classes face-to-face. Dove said schools are adjusting by offering activities like webinars.
“Even with our face-to-face kids, we’re still doing a whole lot of virtual opportunities for them because we aren’t able to bring in people the way we might have been able to in the past,” Dove said.
Leavelle McCampbell Middle is one school offering activities and assignments in honor of Black History Month. Assistant Principal Latonia Evans said the school’s English Language Arts teachers have spearheaded the month’s activities this year.
Allison Lunsford, an English teacher at Leavelle McCampbell, said students will enjoy Black History Month activities from ELA classes, the music department and the morning announcements, where journalism students will offer an African American history fact and quote of the day. The students will also interview Aiken City Council member Lessie Price this week.
“African American History Month offers an additional opportunity for teachers and students to take a deeper dive, and not just African American history, but also looking at the struggles and the perseverance, the contributions that those individuals have made and the connections to our present day life,” Dove said.
Read the full Aiken Standard article here.