The Center for Brooklyn History education department connects students, educators, and archivists in New York City and beyond to unique collections, programs, and events that bring the history of Brooklyn to life.
For students
We make the archive a more inclusive place for students of all backgrounds by giving them the agency to engage and interrogate collections through a culturally responsive lens. By broadening the definition of researcher, students are given access to primary sources while developing their critical research skills. Our signature partnership program, Brooklyn Connections, offers fourth through twelfth grade classes rare access to original archival materials while students complete customized, standards-based projects.
Our work with students extends beyond the school day to our youth internship program that assists youth college, career, and employment readiness skills.
And, beginning in 2021, CBH is thrilled to be the home of New York City History Day.
For educators
Every school year, we offer a robust array of professional development workshops where guest speakers engage educators in fascinating content knowledge while our team models lesson plans and activities that transfer to any classroom. CBH Education is a New York State-certified provider of Continuing Teacher and Leadership Education (CTLE) credit and ASPDP “P” credits. Our events introduce educators to New York City cultural institutions that can support their students with class visits and field trips. Educators can access our customized lesson plans, research guides, and more by visiting our educator resources page and our curriculum library.
For archivists
CBH Education encourages archivists and archives educators to replicate and adapt our model in their own communities. We make our resources and teaching strategies openly available for archivists to access. Our team can be found speaking at conferences and publishing widely to promote the work we do to the archival community. For more information about our resources for archivists, please contact us.
Contact us
CBH Education is generously supported by The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund, The Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust, The Hearst Foundation, Epstein Teicher Philanthropies, The Michael Tuch Foundation, The Nissan Foundation, National Grid Foundation, The Pine Tree Foundation, and Con Edison.
Upcoming Events
Teaching with Primary Sources: The Brooklyn Connections Program — An Election Day Professional Development for Educators
Please join us for our Election Day professional development workshop, "Teaching with Primary Sources: The Brooklyn Connections Program." This day-long event serves as an introduction to CBH Education’s signature archival education program. Participants will learn strategies for teaching with…
CBH Talk | Tommy Silk Discusses "Hidden Landmarks of New York" with Barry Bordelon of the Brownstone Boys
New York is a city of landmarks – more than 37,000 of them. Visitors and New Yorkers alike walk by hundreds of these landmarks daily, often never knowing the rich history behind them. One of these New Yorkers, Tommy Silk, has been photographing and chronicling one landmarked building…
Brooklyn Is... Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Brooklyn Is...!
Visitors will get an interactive look at the photographs, maps, and community reflections that make up the heart of this exhibition, as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the process of putting together…
CBH Talk | Celebrating New York’s Ancestors of Latino Poetry: A Conversation and Performance
The work of New York poets José Martí, Salomón de la Selva, Julia de Burgos, Lourdes Casal, and Clemente Soto Vélez has shaped today’s thriving Latino Poetic tradition and our understanding of what it means to be American. These revolutionary voices represent a range of Latin American…
Brooklyn Is... Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Brooklyn Is...!
Visitors will get an interactive look at the photographs, maps, and community reflections that make up the heart of this exhibition, as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the process of putting together…
Teen Time: Native American History celebration
November is Native American History Month! Center for Brooklyn History will join us for a conversation about the history of their lands where we now live.
We will also make buttons and bracelets to celebrate and show our support for the month!
Brooklyn Is... Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Brooklyn Is...!
Visitors will get an interactive look at the photographs, maps, and community reflections that make up the heart of this exhibition, as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the process of putting together…
CBH Talk | Still Here, HIV/AIDS
December 1 is World AIDS Day, a time of solidarity for people around the world who are affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV - and a time for all of us to reckon with its long legacy. Almost 40 million live with the virus, 1.3 million acquired it in 2023, and 630,000 people…
Center for Brooklyn History, Virtual Lunch and Learn-Exploring the Henry Lloyd Ledgers
Historical ledgers are often used in research and can provide information about accounts and financial transactions, including sales, purchases, amounts, names of account holders and even how the items were transported. Join us for a virtual lunch and learn, exploring historical ledgers, how to…
Brooklyn Is... Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Brooklyn Is...!
Visitors will get an interactive look at the photographs, maps, and community reflections that make up the heart of this exhibition, as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the process of putting together…
Education News from the Center for Brooklyn History
Sign up to receive our monthly Open Book Educator Alert email newsletter! We share events and resources from CBH and from cultural institutions across New York City.
Drop us a line!
You can contact us at cbheducation@bklynlibrary.org.
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