Boston, Mass. (Mar. 31, 2026) — GBH, the leading multiplatform creator of public media in the U.S., today announced a new strategic initiative to partner with premier museums and cultural institutions to develop high-impact digital resources for PBS LearningMedia. This model, the outgrowth of a collaboration between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Museum of African American History I Boston & Nantucket (MAAH), launches today with the release of new classroom materials and a Youth Media Challenge produced in tandem with MAAH.
Developed in collaboration with historians, museum curators and educators from MAAH and other cultural institutions, the resources explore the powerful role Beacon Hill’s Black community played in the fight against slavery and the struggle for civil rights in the United States.
Teachers can access the materials for free on PBS LearningMedia. The new resources include:
- A Liberating Place for Bold Voices and Freedom: Black Abolitionists in Boston Interactive Lesson – An inquiry-based lesson that introduces students to the leaders, spaces, and ideas that shaped Boston’s abolitionist movement. Through primary sources and guided activities, students investigate how Black activists organized for freedom and justice.
- Black Abolition in Boston’s Beacon Hill Interactive Image – An interactive exploration of Beacon Hill that highlights key people, places, and events connected to Boston’s abolitionist community.
- Youth Media Challenge: Youth Voices: Claim the Podium invites students to create a speech or video message inspired by Boston’s Black abolitionists and use what they have learned about the past to speak out, take a stand, and share their message with others.
Beacon Hill was home to one of the nation’s most influential free Black communities in the 19th century. This initiative represents a unique opportunity to connect students with the powerful stories of the African Meeting House and Abiel Smith School—two historic landmarks on the Museum’s Boston campus that remain pivotal to the history of abolitionism and civic activism.
“Public media has an important role to play in connecting students to the people and places that shaped our democracy,” said Seeta Pai, Vice President of Children’s Media and Education at GBH. “Through our partnership with the Museum of African American History, we’re helping bring the stories of Boston’s Black abolitionists into classrooms across the country.”
The resources align with civics and history standards and are designed to support inquiry-based learning in classrooms nationwide.
“The Museum is excited to collaborate with GBH in promoting significant history to a broad audience,” said Dr. Noelle Trent, President & CEO, MAAH. “Every year we welcome visitors from all over the world to our sites, especially children and teens. The opportunity to inspire students as they consider history from a new perspective reflects our mission, vision, programs, and priorities.”
Together, the resources invite students to explore how ordinary citizens organized, spoke out, and built movements for justice—offering powerful connections to today’s conversations about civic participation and democracy and a deeper appreciation for the diverse voices and experiences that have contributed to our nation’s history.
About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. GBH is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and ARTHUR and Molly of Denali and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. GBH’s television channels include GBH 2, GBH 44, GBH Kids and national services GBH WORLD and Create. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; CRB Classical 99.5; CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station, and as a partner to NEPM in Springfield. Dedicated to making media accessible to and representative of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to audience members who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. With PBS LearningMedia, GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide. GBH’s local programming includes Boston Public Radio, GBH News Rooted, Stories from the Stage, The Culture Show, The Curiosity Desk, and High School Quiz Show. GBH has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at gbh.org.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY BOSTON | NANTUCKET
Founded in 1967, MAAH is New England’s oldest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving, and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. Through timely programs, thought-provoking exhibits and special events, the Museum of African American History I Boston & Nantucket (MAAH) connects Colonial and early African American history and culture in Boston and New England with the abolition of slavery and current explorations of race and human rights struggles. MAAH’s four historic properties are found at two sites on Boston’s Beacon Hill and Nantucket Island, and along and two Black Heritage Trails® that tell the story of organized black communities from the Colonial Period through the 19th century.
