Kentucky Resources and Professional Organizations

This page provides links to Kentucky resources and professional organizations for social studies.

KDE Resources

Global Competency

Global competence is critical for innovation in the 21st century. Educational approaches sensitive to our changing world infuse global awareness and cultural understanding into everyday classroom practices, while also utilizing the technological resources available to teachers and students today.  A learning environment rooted in global competence empowers teachers and students to develop deep cultural knowledge and explore the ways in which culture influences identities and worldviews. Teachers and students also engage with world issues and challenges, and conceptualize ways to address them together. Openness and curiosity are developed and are critical to global perspective-building and problem-solving processes.

Required Instruction of the Holocaust and Other Cases of Genocide​

​In 2018, the Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 128 (2018). HB 128 (2018) amends KRS 156.160 to require every public middle and high school’s curriculum to include instruction about the Holocaust and other cases of genocide, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, that a court of competent jurisdiction, whether a court in the United States or the International Court of Justice, has determined to have been committed by applying rigorous standards of due process. Guidance for Curriculum Implementation is available to offer potential guidance to districts when including instruction about the Holocaust and other cases of genocide in middle and high school curriculum. ​​​

Voting and Elections

The Kentucky Department of Education has provided this information to support schools in teaching students the importance of voting.  These resources will allow teachers easy access to downloadable voter registration cards, election ballots and lesson plans that will shape Kentucky students into actively engaged citizens to support the Commonwealth.

​Kentucky Professional Organizations

​The Center for Civic Education helps students develop an increased understanding of the institutions of constitutional democracy and the fundamental principles and values upon which they are founded, the skills necessary to participate as competent and responsible citizens and the willingness to use democratic procedures for making decisions and managing conflict. Ultimately, the Center strives to develop an enlightened citizenry by working to increase understanding of the principles, values, institutions, and history of constitutional democracy among teachers, students, and the general public.

Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice

An organization who thinks globally and works locally here in central Kentucky for a world that is more just, free from the scourge of war and more sustainable. Resources to promote nonviolent solutions to conflict, equitable distribution of the world’s resources, acceptance of diversity in people, political systems and beliefs, respect for the dignity of every individual, and human rights for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation.

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Center for Economic Education 

The EKU Center for Economic Education strives to meet the needs of K-12 teachers in the area of economic education throughout the EKU service region and central and eastern Kentucky.  They are part of the Coalition for Financial Literacy in the Commonwealth (CFLC), which is a network of economic and entrepreneurship education providers that are affiliated with the Council for Economic Education (CEE), a nationwide network that leads in promoting economic literacy with students and their teachers. They work to equip teachers to teach students to think and choose responsibly as consumers, savers, investors, citizens, members of the workforce and effective participants in a global economy. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of Clevelan​d

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland offers a variety of programming, traveling exhibits, publications and resources at no cost to educators on topics such as; college and career readiness, economics, personal finance, STEM, financial literacy and relevant social studies themes. They also work alongside their system colleagues to maintain a digital repository for K-12 resources which include curriculum, games, videos, activities, workbooks, lesson plans and educational tools. These resources, which are available at no cost, can be accessed at FederalReserveEducation.org. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Louisville Branch) 

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis provides economic and personal financial education outreach to K-16 instructors. In addition to developing online courses, podcasts and a variety of other resources for K-16 educators to use in their classrooms, specialists also offer professional development and in-service programs for educators to improve their understanding of economic and personal finance content. 

Filson Historical Society

Kentucky's oldest privately supported Historical Society, founded in 1884.  They have been collecting and preserving Kentucky and the Ohio Valley region's significant stories for 130 years.  You can search many of their online collections, or visit to access their extensive archives and museum artifacts.

Frazier History Museum

The Frazier History Museum is a world-class museum that provides an unforgettable journey through more than 1,000 years of history with ever-changing and interactive exhibits, daily performances by costumed interpreters and engaging special events and programs.

Kentucky Association of Teachers of History (KATH)

KATH is an interdisciplinary service organization for all those concerned about improving the quality of history education in Kentucky.  Members include elementary, middle school, high school, and college and university teachers, as well as administrators and public historians.

Kentucky Council for the Social Studies

This is an organization of social studies educators representing all levels: elementary, middle, high school, college, and administration.  An annual conference, newsletter, journal, and special professional events are programs for members. KCSS is an affiliate of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).

KET: Kentucky Educational Television

KET is Kentucky's preeminent public media organization.  They are an innovative producer of digital education tools for the classroom and Kentucky's highest-quality source for public affairs and arts programming - on television and digital platforms.  They offer opportunities for people everywhere to keep learning throughout their lives.

Kentucky Environmental Education Counci​l

The Kentucky Environmental Education Council was established to improve Kentuckians' understanding of their environment.  Although their major focus is primary and secondary education, the Council also works with colleges and universities, businesses, local governments, private organizations and citizens; in fact, anyone who wishes to help themselves or their students better understand our relationship to the natural world.  Their goal is to provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make their own informed decisions about the environment.  Included on the KEEC website are instructional materials including standards based units of study, primary through high school.

Kentucky Heritage Council

The Heritage Council is a repository of a priceless assemblage of survey forms, maps, photographs and other images in its unique archival collection of inventories of historic structures and archaeological sites in the state. 

Kentucky Historical Society

The Kentucky Historical Society was founded in 1836 to collect and preserve the artifacts, papers and other documentation of Kentucky's history.  Now in the 21st century, their mission statement has grown broader to reflect their place in the global community.  The mission of the Kentucky Historical Society is: The Kentucky Historical Society exists to engage all people in the discovery and interpretation of Kentucky's past.

Kentucky Humanities Council

The Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C.  KHC's focus is around telling Kentucky's story...our pride, our glory.

Muhammad Ali Center: Generation Ali

Guided by Muhammad Ali's six core principles, the Muhammad Ali Center features an interactive museum, educational programming, and special events to inspire young adults and adults to pursue greatness in their own lives, communities and countries.

National Professional Organizations

National Council for the Social Studies

Founded in 1921, the National Council for the Social Studies has grown to be the largest association in the country devoted solely to social studies education. NCSS engages and supports educators in strengthening and advocating social studies.

Council for Economic Education

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) is the leading organization in the United States that focuses on the economic and financial education of students from kindergarten through high school—and we have been doing so for over 65 years. CEE delivers the fourth “R” – a real-world understanding of how to build fruitful lives – to America’s young people. Our goal is to reach and teach every child to create a more informed citizenry capable of making better decisions as savers, investors, borrowers, voters, and participants in the global economy.

National Council for History Educatio​n

The National Council for History Education builds bridges between those who share a common passion for historical thinking. NCHE provides professional development opportunities, access to a wide range of historical organizations, thought-provoking annual conferences, publications, and information on critical national and local historical issues.

Please email the social studies team with any questions.