Department of History

Choices Program

The Choices Program is a national education initiative that is part of the Brown University Department of History.

Choices poster 1Choices produces curriculum for secondary school social studies classrooms on historical and contemporary issues. The program’s staff collaborate with faculty and use new research and scholarship to create accessible student readings, lesson plans, and videos for use in a wide array of history and current issues classrooms. 

With more than three decades of secondary education curriculum development experience, a national network of teachers, and the support of the Department of History, the Choices Program bridges the space between academia and secondary school classrooms. Choices’ resources reach a diverse audience. Today, they are used annually by more than 1 million students in more than eight thousand secondary schools across the United States, as well as about two hundred international schools. In addition, the Choices Program has extensive experience running professional development programs for educators in the United States and abroad. In the past three years, the program has organized and conducted 140 workshops and webinars for roughly 3,000 teachers.

Choices Curriculum

The Choices Program currently has thirty-nine curriculum units designed for use in U.S. History, World History, and Current Issues courses.

Videos of History Faculty

Choices videos are used in classrooms around the world. Several Brown History faculty have been featured:

Opportunities for Graduate Students

Choices offers opportunities for employment and collaboration to History graduate students, including semester-long proctorships. Graduate students work with Choices staff conducting research, writing, editing, assisting with video interviews, and creating lesson plans aimed at a high school audience. Students meet regularly with Choices staff, receive and give feedback, and are integrated into the work of the program. Graduate students who help produce curriculum materials receive consulting or co-authorship credit.

Opportunities for Undergraduate Students

Choices offers paid opportunities for undergraduate History concentrators. Curriculum positions are project-based and depend on the needs of the program. Positions include fact-checking, researching and cataloging information, and copy editing.

Contact

Rebecca Nedostup Visit the Choices Program’s website for additional information or contact faculty director Rebecca Nedostup (rebecca_nedostup@Brown.edu).