FAIR Announces Partnership with 'Alliance for Constructive Ethnic Studies' to Promote Curriculum Adoption
Newsletter
Dear Friends of FAIR,
We’re thrilled to share exciting news: FAIR is partnering with the Alliance for Constructive Ethnic Studies (ACES) to accelerate adoption of FAIR’s groundbreaking new curriculum.
ACES has been at the forefront of advocating for thoughtful, balanced ethnic studies curricula that build mutual respect, fight racism, and celebrate ethnic groups’ accomplishments without imposing narrow ideological agendas. Their mission aligns perfectly with FAIR’s approach: we believe students deserve to engage with America’s complex history through primary sources, competing perspectives, and civil discourse instead of predetermined conclusions.
ACES’s diverse, nonpartisan coalition model also complements FAIR’s commitment to serving educators and families across the political spectrum. Together, we’re demonstrating that it’s possible to teach ethnic studies that inspires mutual respect, celebrates achievement, and equips students with the analytical tools they need without the divisiveness that has made this field so contentious.
This partnership marks a pivotal moment in FAIR’s evolution from problem identification to solution delivery. ACES brings deep expertise in California’s Ethnic Studies landscape and shares our commitment to teaching America’s story with intellectual honesty, multiple perspectives, and rigorous academic standards.
This partnership enables two grassroots organizations, with different histories and constituencies, to unite around shared principles. We will work together to provide programs which inspire students not only to better understand our nation’s complex history and ongoing struggles, but also to take an active and informed role in shaping our aspirational future.
We’re grateful to ACES for their partnership and to all of you who continue supporting our mission. Together, we’re positioned to reach new school districts that have been searching for exactly what FAIR offers: a path that honors diversity and confronts difficult truths while building bridges rather than deepening divisions. We’ve also given our curriculum a name that better reflects its spirit: Many Stories, One Nation (formerly The American Experience). We believe this partnership and our new name will help us reach the thousands of educators and students across the country who are looking for an ethnic studies curriculum that is honest, academically rigorous, and unifying.
This week, our team will attend the California Council for the Social Studies conference in Garden Grove, California, where we will showcase Many Stories, One Nation to educators from across the state. Stay tuned for updates from the conference and beyond. FAIR’s work of creating thoughtful, rigorous, bridge-building alternatives continues with powerful new partners!
With gratitude,
Monica Harris
Executive Director, FAIR
P.S. As we celebrate five years of success this March, we’re asking supporters to consider special anniversary gifts that will help us capitalize on the momentum we’ve built. Stay tuned for more opportunities to invest in FAIR’s next chapter!
Beyond Binary Thinking: Developing Nuanced Perspectives in Young Minds
Join FAIR Advisors Wilfred Reilly and Erec Smith for a conversation moderated by FAIR Executive Director Monica Harris. We will discuss the need to move beyond oversimplified oppressor/oppressed narratives to help develop critical thinking skills that honor complexity while maintaining moral clarity. This theme also supports FAIR's commitment to civil discourse, which is a foundational element of our Many Stories, One Nation curriculum.
Culture in Psychotherapy — Without the Corrosion of Identity Politics
Join FAIR with Dr. Douglas Novotny for this upcoming course: Amid today’s culture wars, Identity Politics corrodes the teaching and practice of psychotherapy, especially in the widely-misunderstood realm of “culture” and “diversity.” Many people on both sides feel distrustful, alienated, and/or demoralized. This course gives a structural model for clinical work that re-enlivens moral depth — without moralism. The goal is to clarify concepts and conflicts that impact daily life and clinical settings. It aims to facilitate engagement with patients and colleagues, and within ourselves, even as we grapple with vital and controversial issues.
Research indicates that ideological diversity — seeing topics from different points of view — improves psychology. This course builds on that with Jon Haidt‘s Moral Foundations Theory, a cultural lens to grasp differences across cultures, within cultures, and the daily experiences of clients and students encountered by therapists. Specific clinical applications will be explored, and critiques and competing moral models will be considered. This structural model helps explain interpersonal divisions (and intra-psychic ones) and offers ways to bridge them through deep cultural understanding and relational attunement.
This course is available March 18th - April 18th (Home Study), March 28th, and April 8th. Course fee: $69 (+ $20 if requesting Continuing Education Certificate)
The Open Therapy Institute (OTI) is at the forefront of a burgeoning area of mental health care, developing innovative, evidence-based tools to help people, support professionals, and address social issues. Whether you’re a mental health professional, a patient, the leader of an organization, or just a citizen looking for openness and dialogue, OTI is developing solutions to help make things better.
Membership is for professionals in mental health fields including psychologists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, pastoral counselors, and researchers. Membership is open to applicants internationally.
FAIR Educator Alliance 2025-2026
FAIR has launched the Educators Alliance for the 2025–2026 school year to equip PK–12 educators with the knowledge, strategies, and community support they need to foster schools that are more enriching and free from bias for students and educators.
Each monthly gathering will open with updates and presentations from FAIR staff, fellows, Chapter Leaders, and occasional guest speakers. Together, we’ll explore strategies to support educators, communities, and local chapters—and to advance positive change at the local, regional, and national levels. Following the presentations, participants will have space for open-forum discussions to connect, seek advice, and coordinate on pressing issues in their schools. Breakout rooms will be divided into PK-6 and 7-12 grade levels with experienced teachers facilitating those conversations.
Meetings: First Thursday of each month at 7 PM ET via Zoom
Duration: 1 hour
Note to readers: We have paused the FAIR News podcast. If you prefer listening, rather than reading these newsletters, an audio version is available directly on the Substack app. Thank you for tuning in!
Excellent news regarding, "ACES". I hope the calif conference is a success with School districts signing on. We desperately need to change the narrative. These issues are why I donate to FAIR when I can.
Fantastic news!!