Submitted by Secretary of State
With schools closed for the remainder of the school year due to COVID-19, parents and teachers are seeking alternative learning opportunities for students. The Secretary of State’s Office has compiled its free resources for students, parents, and teachers to learn about Washington’s history, elections, and more.
Legacy Washington offers oral histories about extraordinary Washingtonians past and present, and provides engaging content for students with accompanying lesson plans and contests. In fact, Legacy Washington launched a writing, art, and podcast contest in January for students in grades 6-12. The contest is in conjunction with Legacy Washington’s “Ahead of the Curve” exhibit, and asks students to highlight individuals who are ‘ahead of the curve’ in their communities. Contest requirements and more information can be found here. Submissions are due by May 31.
Washington State Elections provides a guide to teaching elections and conducts a student mock election every year for the general election. Most recently, the division also conducted a mock presidential primary.
Washington State Library (WSL) provides resources for libraries, students, teachers, and parents all in one place. WSL also offers primary source materials and lesson plans with Primarily Washington, a collaboration between WSL, Legacy Washington, and Washington State Archives.
Washington State Archives’ Digital Archives offers a treasure trove of historical information about Washington with more than 200 million records online.
The new edition of the Simply Washington booklet highlights state history, resources, culture and more.
“Washington has a rich heritage, and all of our students should have an opportunity to learn about our state’s history and culture,” said Secretary of State Kim Wyman. “At the Office of the Secretary of State, we value and prioritize education and civic engagement, and are thrilled we can provide these excellent resources to students, parents, and teachers during this unprecedented period in our world’s history.”
All of the aforementioned resources can be found here.
Washington’s Office of Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
