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NEA Event

Freedom to Learn & Teach Truth Day of Action

Join us on June 7, 2025, to ensure all students can learn, grow, and thrive — no exceptions.
graphic with the words Freedom to Learn in multicolored brushstroke art
Published: April 19, 2024
This resource originally appeared on NEA.org

Event Overview

Dates and Times

  • Saturday, June 7, 2025

Location

  • Online and local events

Join us for the Teach Truth Day of Action on June 7.

Some politicians are trying to censor the lessons taught in our classrooms, ban books, and exclude certain kids based on what they look like or where they live. They’re trying to divide and distract us from their failures to provide all of our kids everything they need to learn, grow, and thrive. But together we can make our voices loud and clear to protect the freedom to learn & teach truth.

We are moving forward to a better future where every student—whether Black, brown, or white, Native or newcomer, LGBTQ+ or differently abled—has the #freedomtolearn.

On June 7, educators, students, parents, and community members are rejecting these attempts at division and uniting to protect the freedom to learn and teach truth.

Plan a Teach Truth Day Event

From five people at your local library to a rally in your town square, no event is too big or too small.

  • Plan your activity. Bring your community together around the freedom to learn. Here are some options. (Learn about these activities and more at the Teach Truth Day of Action page.)
    • Engage people in a people’s history mini-lesson in a public space such as the lobby at your city hall, a union, school board, or park. Showcase the history we are defending the right to teach. For example, create a gallery walk with quotes by noted scholars and activists including W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Septima Clark, Carter Woodson, and more on the importance and struggle for education. The quotes are formatted for a gallery walk on downloadable PDF.
    • Rally at a historic site or lead a history walking tour to highlight the history that is being censored.
    • Host a Teach Truth information table with information about book bans, curriculum censorship, and how to defend the freedom to learn.
    • Screen the Banned Together documentary. Thanks to NEA sponsorship, the screening fee is waived for day of action events.
  • Select a public site such as a local library, bookstore, museum, festival, farmers market, city hall, union hall, school board, or park. Many events have been held at Pride festivals and Juneteenth commemorations.
  • Sign up to receive materials and a media guide. Every site receives a media toolkit and a package with Teach Truth postcards, posters, stickers, buttons, and more. Public events are added to a shareable event post on a map hosted by Public School Strong.
  • Amplify your action. Post photos and videos to social media with the hashtag #TeachTruth and #FreedomtoLearn.

Host an event and receive a Teach Truth pop-up installation box with banned books and other resources.

Sign up to Create Your Own Event

Attend a Teach Truth Day Event

Teach Truth Day of Action events are popping up across the country! Use the interactive map below to find an event near you!

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Always Available Teach Truth Day of Action Resources

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Explore, download, and Share Freedom to Learn art

Art has the power to evoke emotion and deepen the impact of the movement. Explore art from NEA to use in your activism.
A Black woman in an NEA t-shirt smiles at the camera. She surrounded by people holding signs that say "Freedom to Love" and "teach Truth"

Zinn Education Project’s Event Support

Once again, we invite educators, students, parents, and community members to host an information table or event to defend the right to #TeachTruth and defend LGBTQ+ rights.
Black woman choosing a book at a library

NEA’s Freedom to Learn Action Toolkit

All children deserve well-trained and supported educators and curriculum to help them reckon with our past and shape our future. Together, we can make that happen.

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