Bright Idea: Infuse Fun and Facts Into Black History Month

Throw an African American “knowledge bowl”—a team contest inspired by quiz shows—in February as a fun and creative way to celebrate black history. It’s competition, education and empowerment rolled into one.

Here are some tips from NCFY staff:

Divide youth into teams. Whether you’re planning a small competition (within a youth program or school) or a large one (among students in a school district, county, or city), placing students in pairs or small groups is a good idea. They’ll learn teamwork and leadership skills. And competitive young people can channel their energies into a positive activity.

Give young people time to study. Holding the event toward the end of February enables you to integrate it into a month-long series of lessons about black history or, at the very least, give students a few weeks to bone up using a study guide or textbook.

Separate the questions into categories such as art, literature, music, entertainment, science, culture, and sports. Young people will see the broad range of African American achievements and feel a sense of accomplishment if they excel in a particular category.