Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month(September 15 – October 15) serves as a national celebration to honor the history, culture and influence of the generations who have come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

A day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

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LGBT History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.

Student Resources

Click Here for Student LGBTQIAA+ Resources, Name/Gender Change Process, and District Policies.

Teacher/Staff Resources

LGBTQ Book List 

Pride Month Toolkit – Learn more
This Toolkit includes a variety of resources, images, sample social media, and publications to support you in amplifying the voices and experiences of LGBTQ youth—this month, and every month!

Listen, Learn, & Share: Learn about LGBTQIA+ History by listening to these LGBTQIA+ Icons.

• Sylvia Rivera Pt. 1: GLSEN – LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive (13:03)
• Sylvia Rivera Pt. 2: GLSEN – LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive (19:04)
• Marsha P. Johnson and Randy Wicker: GLSEN – LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive (17:06)

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

The week before TDOR, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise visibility for transgender people and address issues the community faces.

Learn More

Black History Month was created in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Initially called Negro History Week, the celebration expanded to a full month in 1976, in order to focus even greater attention on the contributions of African Americans in the United States and throughout the diaspora. Today, Black History Month continues to amplify and deepen the exploration and elevation of African Americans and their contributions to society through film screenings, museum exhibits, and by encouraging the study of the accomplishments of African Americans year-round.

Women’s History Month began as a week-long celebration in March of 1982. In 1987, following the petitioning of the National Women’s History Project, March was declared “Women’s History Month.” Since then, Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions of women to our nation and their achievements over the course of American history, in a variety of fields.

This month, the School District of Philadelphia celebrates and acknowledges the contributions women have made to our District, city, and nation.

Welcome to our Women’s History Month student digital art & performance gallery.

This April the School District of Philadelphia celebrates Arab American Heritage Month. Honoring the rich contributions of the diverse population of Arab Americans, April has been recognized as Arab American Heritage Month since 2017.

An estimated 3.7 million Americans have Arab roots, according to the Arab American Institute, with ancestries traced to 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and others.

In a letter to the Arab America and the Arab American Foundation, President Biden wrote, “Diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and it is essential that we continue celebrating, promoting, and educating others about the myriad ways that the Arab people have advanced human civilization and contributed to the well-being of our nation.”

Celebrate Diversity Month takes place in April every year. It was initiated in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity of the world around us. It is a time to recognize and understand our differences, be it gender, race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, and other factors, while honoring the common essence of humanity.

Welcome to our Diversity Month student digital art & performance gallery.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Each year, May presents an opportunity to learn about and pay tribute to the enormous and diverse contributions that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made throughout American history. AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander. The term is used to describe a diverse and growing population of 23 million Americans that include roughly 50 ethnic groups with roots in more than 40 countries. The term, “Asian American,” was first used by activists in 1968. Its creation was the direct result of radical cross-racial and ethnic solidarity movement building in the US in the 1960s. Very different peoples from the Asian diaspora realized that once coming to America, racism shaped particular shared histories and experiences that tied very disparate ethnic groups together. The term “Asian American” is deeply rooted in the community’s attempts to fight racism and other oppressive systems by building a sense of unity.

The history of AAPIs in America is a complicated one.  As a country, we must reckon with the virulent and explicitly racist policies and practices that have been directed at Asians and Asian Americans for generations, as well as the consequences of a history of imperial conquest, militarization and extraction in Asia and the Pacific. But there is also a proud history of resistance and resilience, battles hard fought – and won – from Supreme Court landmark cases to cultural and linguistic reclamation and deepening roots of belonging, to the fight for visibility in education as well as in career fields.  In AAPI America, the statement “We belong here” is not only a denial of AAPI people being viewed as “perpetual foreigners” – people who can never be real Americans –  but a firm positioning of a people’s right to be here. Affirming Asian American historical presence and the long, ongoing struggle for civil and human rights as Americans is what we celebrate this month.

Affirming Asian American historical presence and the long, ongoing struggle for civil and human rights as Americans is what we celebrate this month. Yes, AAPI heritage is worth celebrating too. Our food, fashion, folk tales, festivals, and famous people matter as well. But it is the history that remains invisible. Using May to lift up that history for even a brief moment helps to fight invisibility, and we celebrate that after nearly three centuries of presence in the US, the AAPI diaspora is finding glimmers of visibility.

Are you AAPI or Asian American? It’s Complicated

• Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month
• Reflections on (AAPI) History Month – Make Us Visible
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Month – 2022– This comprehensive guide offers resources for studying AAPI from a variety of perspectives.
• AAPI Heritage Official Website
• History of AAPI in Philadelphia
• Power of Words Handbook A Guide to Language about Japanese Americans In World War II
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Month – 2022
• AAPI Population in Pennsylvania 
• Mayors Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
• AAPI Data
• Korean American Historical Society
• AANHPI Resource Center
• Central Asian American Course
• South Asian American Digital Archive
• The History of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

• API PA
• Asian Americans United 
• Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC)
• Vietlead
• Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia 
• SEAMAAC
• Gapura Philly
• Philly Asian Queer
• Asian American Chamber of Commerce Greater Philadelphia
• Chinese Immigrant Family Wellness Initiative

• Resources Against Anti-Asian Violence
• Anti-Asian Violence Resources
• Anti-Racism Resources for the AAPI Community-Cornell
• Stop AAPI Hate
• Hate Crime Resources- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
• Philadelphia Middle School Student Speaks Out Against Asian American Hate

• Erasure and Resilience: The Experiences of LGBTQ Students of Color
• Coming Out Sheets: Multilingual
• Family is Still Family PSA’s
• Unspoken: Asian Americans on Coming Out to Immigrant Parents
• Telling Our Own Stories: Queer Asian Youth Writing Project
• I am Asian American
• First Queer Generation
• Kumu Hina: A Place in the Middle
• Always Love: Joanna Fang
• 10 South Asian LGBTQ Books that Changed My Life
• Q&A Space: Stories and Resources for the API LGBTQ Community

• Chinatown Mental Health Work 
• Mental Health America-AAPI 
• Asian American Psychological Association
• National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association 
• Asian Mental Health Collective
• Asian Americans with Disabilities Resource Guide

• Sophie’s Kitchen
• The Last Drop
• Paris Baguette
• Laurentius Salon
• Dim Sum Gardens
• Perla
• Terakawa Ramen
• Asian Arts Initiative
• Vault + Vine
• Lumos Yoga + Barre
• Club House Gym
• Jembatan 5
• Pho House
• Lulu Cafe

Jewish American Heritage Month, originally recognized as a week in 1980 and later expanded to a month in 2006, is a time to honor the rich history, culture, and contributions of Jewish Americans within our nation and abroad.

During this month, while celebrating the profound influence of Jewish Americans on our society, we must also take time to understand the history and pervasiveness of antisemitism. We acknowledge the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on the American Jewish community as well as American society at large. Jewish American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to understand the history and complexities of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to explore ways to engage in dialogue that upholds a commitment to understanding diverse perspectives, as well as combating hate in all forms.

As we honor Jewish American Heritage Month, recognizing the deep and personal grief many community members feel as they grapple with global current events and the uncertainty of tomorrow, it is important to use this month as a way to also highlight how Jewish Americans have helped and continue to shape the fabric of this country. With a focus on the age-old Jewish tradition of Tikkun Olam (healing the world), we aim to work collectively to promote empathy, critical thinking, understanding, and respectful dialogue that uplifts the rich legacy and the continued contributions of the Jewish American community.

Click Here for Resources 

To support your efforts to teach and learn about Jewish American culture, not only in May but all year long, please refer to these resources

ADL – https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/jewish-american-heritage-month-resources

Jewish American Heritage Month Website: https://jewishamericanheritage.org/for-educators/

Institute for Curriculum Services: https://icsresources.org/

The Weitzman Museum: https://theweitzman.org/education/

Jewish American Heritage Month Posters – also can be requested from Weitzman Museum

Jewish American Heritage Month – Learning Resource Calendar

Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month

Each June Pride Month holds intentional space to affirm and uplift the diverse LGBTQIA+ community throughout the United States. Initially celebrated in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, and serve as a reminder that PRIDE began as a protest in response to police brutality and other injustices against the LGBTQIA+ community. While strides have been made toward mitigating oppression of the LGBTQIA+ community, there is still much to protest.  Anti-LGBTQ legislation and acts of hate are increasing in this country which impacts the safety and rights for individuals. Pride Month is a time not only to celebrate the many contributions that the LGBTQIA+ community have given to society, but to also speak out as allies against homophobic/transphobic language and actions that impact this historically marginalized population. Whether you support LGBTQIA+ businesses, engage in Pride events and parades, donate to organizations that support this community, or speak up and engage in political action, Pride Month is a time to come together and show that love is always stronger than hate.

In addition to recognizing PRIDE, June is also World Refugee and Immigration Awareness Month, Caribbean American Heritage Month, and National PTSD Awareness Month.

Student Resources

Click Here for Student LGBTQIAA+ Resources, Name/Gender Change Process, and District Policies.

Teacher/Staff Resources

• Resources for LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools K – 5
• Request free LGBTQ+ inclusive books for your K-3 classroom
• Resources on creating affirming spaces
• Trevor Project – 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
• GLSEN 2021 National School Climate Survey
• LGBTQ Book List
• Pride Month Toolkit – Learn more
  This Toolkit includes a variety of resources, images, sample social media, and publications to support you in amplifying the voices and experiences of LGBTQ youth—this month, and every month!

Listen, Learn, & Share: Learn about LGBTQIA+ History by listening to these LGBTQIA+ Icons.

• Sylvia Rivera Pt. 1: GLSEN – LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive (13:03)
• Sylvia Rivera Pt. 2: GLSEN – LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive (19:04)
• Marsha P. Johnson and Randy Wicker: GLSEN – LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive (17:06)