Virtual: K-12 Teacher Webinar: ‘Celebrating the History and Cultural Contributions of Arab Americans’

Though often overlooked, Arab Americans are an important thread in the fabric of American society. From the first wave of immigrants who arrived in the late 19th century to the present day, Arab Americans have been making valuable contributions in the fields of medicine, business, education, technology, government, culture, and more. In honor of April as Arab American Heritage Month, this webinar will explore strategies to incorporate information on Arab Americans into the curriculum. Countering overgeneralized representations of this group, we will provide an overview of Arab American history, with an emphasis on cultural history.

Join the Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies on April 13 at 5:00 p.m. for a webinar that will provide tools for culturally responsive teaching by offering resources to integrate students’ diverse cultures, identities, and experiences in the classroom. The webinar will explore materials from Turath, a path-breaking virtual exhibit that highlights the early cultural innovations and accomplishments of Arab American musicians, writers, poets, artists, performers and journalists. 

This program will feature Akram Khater, professor of history and Director of the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies at North Carolina State University. This webinar is a collaboration of the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies and the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies. It is free and open to any interested K-12 educator. A certificate documenting 1.5 professional learning hours will be provided to registered teachers to submit to the appropriate person at your school or in your district to receive credit. Please note: it is up to your school/district to approve credit. Register here in advance.