Dolores Huerta

 

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Dolores Huerta Foundation has released an Instructor’s Guide and educational lesson plans for elementary and high school students that highlight the life and legacy of Dolores Huerta.

The resources are publicly available through the Foundation’s website at doloreshuerta.org/lesson-plans. The materials align with the California FAIR Education Act, which requires history and social science instruction in primary and secondary schools to accurately reflect the cultural and racial diversity of society. The law emphasizes the contributions of Mexican Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other historically underrepresented groups to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of history.

The lesson plans were developed in partnership with the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas at UC Santa Cruz and funded by the Latina Futures 2050 Lab, a research initiative of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC). Created in 2022 in collaboration with the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, Latina Futures 2050 Lab is funded by a $15 million California state budget allocation and seeks to expand understanding of the economic, political, and social lives of women and girls in the United States through applied policy research. Released in celebration of California’s Dolores Huerta Day on April 10, the materials include lesson slides, handouts, and other educational resources, organized into two collections: Kindergarten through 8th grade and high school. All materials meet California state educational standards.

Founded in 1969, the CSRC is a recognized leader in scholarly research on the Chicano-Latino population in the United States, developing research, educational resources, and public programs that advance understanding of Chicano-Latino history and culture.

The resources are designed to teach students about local and national history, including the impact of labor rights movements and the importance of community-driven solutions to social inequities. The project aims to ensure that Dolores Huerta’s contributions, along with those of other influential leaders, are included in classroom instruction for generations to come.

Access to the lesson plans is available at doloreshuerta.org/lesson-plans.