Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies

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Upcoming Dates

2021–October 21-23 in Harrisburg
2022–PCSS as part of NCSS in Philadelphia, December 2-4

2022 NCSS in Philadelphia

PCSS will be part of NCSS in Philadelphia

For More Information
Visit NCSS

For More Information
Visit Middle States Council

The Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies

The Pennsylvania Council for Social Studies is the statewide umbrella organization for Social Studies in Pennsylvania.  As an advocate for social studies at all levels of education, PCSS promotes the analysis, dissemination, and evaluation of instructional materials and programs for effective social studies education in the Commonwealth.  In addition, the organization makes recommendations on certification requirements for educators involved in teaching social studies.  Most importantly, PCSS assists local social studies educators in their professional development and cooperates with schools, school districts, intermediate units, and other interested groups to support great social studies educators such as Quinn and the others being honored on Saturday morning.

October 2020 brought our first virtual conference.  This year’s conference theme was “Expanding Citizen Voices.  In 2020, we commemorate the expansion of voting rights in our nation’s history – the 150^th anniversary of the 15^th Amendment (prohibiting disenfranchisement based on race, creed, or previous servitude), the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th Amendment (women’s suffrage), and the 49^th anniversary of the 26^th Amendment (votes for 18 year olds). Each is more than a moment in history, but a chain of events to investigate and understand – protest movements, court cases, legislation, and more – that inform issues today. Preparing young citizens to learn how to exercise their voices in our democracy is a cornerstone of social studies education, whether that preparation takes place online during a pandemic or in a more traditional classroom setting.

The 67^th Annual Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies was sponsored by FIRE—The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of students and faculty members at America’s colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience — the essential qualities of liberty.

Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies

PCSS promotes quality Social Studies education from kindergarten to higher learning by:

1. Advocating the Social Studies at all levels of education in Pennsylvania.
2. Promoting the analysis, dissemination and evaluation of Social Studies materials.
3. Examining and recommending certification requirements for teachers.
4. Assisting educators in organizing local Social Studies councils for professional development.
5. Cooperating with schools, districts, intermediate units and other interested parties on Social Studies projects.

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