In a new NCTE partnership with Carnegie Corporation of New York, teachers will develop lesson plans and teaching resources based on comics about naturalized American citizens
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is partnering with Carnegie Corporation of New York to bring the philanthropic foundation’s Great Immigrants, Great Americans comic series into classrooms nationwide. Teachers are invited to apply for the opportunity to create related lesson plans and teaching resources by June 22 at 3 p.m. ET.
The teaching materials will focus on using the comics to inspire students to learn more about the journeys and contributions of naturalized American citizens –– and draw their own stories in comic form.
“NCTE and its members have long recognized the benefits comics bring to students, starting with encouraging them to read more through high-interest stories, to build empathy alongside reading comprehension and critical thinking,” NCTE Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick said. “We look forward to engaging English language arts educators to give students the opportunity to tell their families’ immigrant and origin stories while discovering their commonalities with peers and extraordinary Americans.”
Every Fourth of July for the last 20 years, Carnegie Corporation of New York has celebrated the exemplary contributions of immigrants to American life, as part of its focus on immigrant integration to reduce political polarization and strengthen our democracy. Some of their stories are featured in a new Carnegie comic series that illustrates how naturalized citizens enrich American society. Each comic is told through the subject’s own words. They include Mona Hanna, Yann LeCun, Jim Lee, and Paul Muldoon, who are well-known figures in their fields across entertainment, literature, mathematics, and medicine.
“We are delighted to be working with NCTE to share positive stories about immigration and the many contributions of naturalized citizens to America,” said Kelly Devine, Carnegie’s principal director of content and dissemination. “We hope that these lesson plans and educational resources will help students of all backgrounds explore their own or their family’s immigration stories and appreciate that their participation and contributions are likewise needed to ensure a strong democracy.”
Two cohorts of four teachers each, convened by NCTE, will create classroom resources for middle and secondary grades based on the comics. Additionally, NCTE will create opportunities, such as a webinar, for teachers across the country to engage with the series and learn about using comics for in-classroom literacy projects. The cohorts’ work will be featured at NCTE’s 2025 Annual Convention in November, which is expected to draw more than 8,000 literacy educators spanning preK through graduate studies. Interested applicants can apply here.
About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace. Carnegie.org
About NCTE
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is the professional organization for literacy teachers spanning preK through college. Through the expertise and advocacy from its members’ professional research, practice, and knowledge, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911. For more information, please visit ncte.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Allie Ciaramella, NCTE: aciaramella@ncte.org