02/17/2026
This Black History Month, we are excited to announce a new professional learning opportunity for K–12 teachers:
Local Landmarks, Hidden Stories: Paul R. Williams and the Architecture of Belonging.
This new Curriculum Cohort Initiative invites educators to explore local Black history through the built environment, centering the life and legacy of architect Paul R. Williams and the questions of race, place, and belonging embedded in Los Angeles’s landscape.
Developed in partnership with the UCLA History–Geography Project and the Getty Research Institute, this two-day summer institute will take place June 29–30, 2026 at the Getty Center. Teachers will work directly with primary sources from the Getty’s collections, including architectural drawings, archival documents, and photographs. Together, participants will examine themes such as redlining, housing access, and the creation of Black community spaces rooted in joy and resilience.
As part of the cohort, educators will collaborate to develop classroom-ready lessons that activate resources from the African American Art History Initiative. Participants who complete all program requirements will receive a stipend, and completed lessons will be published through Getty.edu and UCLA HGP, extending this work to classrooms across the region.
We invite you to apply and join a cohort of K–12 educators committed to teaching Black history through local stories and meaningful place-based inquiry.
Application deadline: March 1, 2026. Apply here: bit.ly/3LA5BxR
