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.
Contact us
For Brooklyn Connections, Professional Development Opportunities, or General Inquiries
CBH Education is generously supported by The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund, The Hearst Foundation, Epstein Teicher Philanthropies, The Michael Tuch Foundation, The Nissan Foundation, National Grid Foundation, The Pine Tree Foundation, Con Edison, and Festa Family.
Upcoming Events
Exhibition Tour, The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered
Join us at the Center for Brooklyn History for a free tour of The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered.
In August of 1776, the first and largest battle of the American Revolution took place in what is now Brooklyn, NY. The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered uses primary…
Public Address: A Reading
This event is offsite at Columbus Park (across from Brooklyn Borough Hall and near 2/3/4/5 Borough Hall Subway) on Johnson Street
Join artist Alex Strada, Public Artist in Residence with the New York City Department of Homeless Services and the Department of…
CBH Talk | Confronting Climate Change Part 3: Solutions
Confronting Climate Change is a three-part series that explores one of the most urgent issues of our times. Join leading thinkers, scientists, journalists, and advocates for these vitally important conversations.
Part Three: Solutions—From Innovation to Action
Part Three of…
CBH Talk | The Battle of Brooklyn Revisited: A Screening & Conversation
The Battle of Brooklyn, the largest battle of the American Revolution, unfolded across landscapes many of us pass every day without realizing the history beneath our feet. This screening of The Brave Man, directed by filmmaker Joseph M. McCarthy brings that pivotal moment vividly to life…
P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic
Join The Bell and Chalkbeat for a student-led conversation about pressing issues in the New York City school system. The discussion will feature original reporting from the high school student journalists behind the P.S. Weekly podcast. Together, they’ll dive into shrinking enrollment,…
CBH Talk | Puerto Rico at a Crossroads
As Puerto Rico confronts mounting economic pressures, climate vulnerability, migration, and renewed debates over sovereignty and self-determination, questions about the island’s political future have taken on new urgency. In the wake of the most recent election cycle, what paths lie ahead for…
CBH Talk | Queer Modernism and “The Little Review” - How Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap Reshaped Literature and Each Other
This Pride Month, the Center for Brooklyn History turns to the story of Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap, the visionary editors behind "The Little Review," whose partnership, both personal and professional, helped shape the course of modern literature.
At a time when both queerness…
CBH Talk | Black Brooklyn’s Fight for Community Control: From Ocean Hill-Brownsville to "Livonia Chow Mein"
As Black residents of Brooklyn neighborhoods like Brownsville and East New York continue to confront displacement, inequality, and questions of who has the power to shape community life, what can earlier movements for self-determination teach us about the present moment? And how can literature…
Literacy Volunteer Information Session
Looking for a way to help out in your community?
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CBH Talk | An Unfinished Revolution: Dialogues on Freedom and Democracy with Khalil Gibran Muhammad
Marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, join us to reflect, reckon, and reimagine the ideals at the heart of the American experiment.
Across three evenings, CBH invites distinguished historians to select short readings as starting points for guided public…
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Contact Us
You can contact us at cbheducation@bklynlibrary.org.