LGBTQ+ History Month is meaningful to us because it was founded by a teacher. Missouri history teacher Rodney Wilson was the first openly gay public school teacher in the state. He chose October to represent LGBTQ+ history because the first and second LGBTQ+ marches on Washington happened during the month.
Since its founding by Wilson, LGBTQ+ History Month has spread to school districts, with LGBTQ+ history now being required in New Jersey curriculums. This requirement is a big deal because it helps LGBTQ+ students and teachers feel seen and welcome to live as who they really are.

Rutgers Alternate Route is proud to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting our teachers of Hispanic and Latin American descent and their evident impact on the lives of the students they serve.  We reaffirm the invaluable ways that people of Hispanic and Latin American descent enrich the American tapestry of resilience, advancement, and excellence and express gratitude for their empowering presence in New Jersey's classroom. 

September 15 kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month, which recognizes the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 20.9 percent of New Jerseyans identify as Hispanic or Latinx (the gender-neutral term for Latino/a), making up a sizable portion of our state’s population. 

As done in previous years, to help teachers and leaders save time finding these organizations, Rutgers Alternate Route has formulated a list of exciting PD opportunities for the fall. These events are hosted by state-based professional associations, local universities and grassroots education groups. These conferences and trainings include many free opportunities and, for those who missed in-person events, there are plenty of options within New Jersey. And, for those educators that enjoy a fun road trip here and there, we’ve incorporated a few national options.

We challenged our teachers to part ways with overused review formats like Jeopardy and Kahoot. Each game is customized for different subjects and grades but can be adapted for any content. Not to mention, most of them require no technology. These free, accessible games use exciting, fresh methods to encourage information recall.
Read on to browse each teacher-designed game and access instructions!