In April 2026, fourth-grade students students at Phineas Bates (Roslindale, Massachusetts) began their end-of-the-year unit on women’s suffrage. They also invited four AWTT portrait subjects to join them on this journey: Sojourner Truth, Ida Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker,

According to Connie Carter, AWTT education director, these teachers and students took the use of portraits in a whole new direction. That is, the faculty chose a history topic that was part of their annual curriculum and brought the portraits into their classroom to bring the content alive. These four women were people who were already part of their usual curriculum. The results were spectacular: students connected with the portraits in ways that enlivened their learning experiences. Read more from Connie about her virtual visit with the students.

Teacher Jenny Crays enthusiastically reported, “The portraits added SO much to our voting rights unit and helped students connect to each individual.  Such a beautiful and meaningful addition.”

And at the end of their exploration, students offered in-depth insights, as well. Describing the feeling of being surrounded by the portraits in his classroom, one student reflected that it was “kind of like their spirit was in that portrait listening to us while we learned. . . .”  Watch short video of student testimonial. Another student imagined that “if she was here now, she’d be really proud to see what she did to this world and how she made it all over America [for] Black women to be free . . . and for any woman to get voting rights. View short video on google drive.

As you can see from the accompanying photos, the students also had fun guarding their precious portraits—against real or imaginary art thieves?

When participating in the AWWT School Partnership program, you have complete control over curating your own in-school portrait show—matching up your selection with any topic of study. You may choose portraits that inspire students around curricular topics such as environmental studies, gender studies, or mental health. Or your school may take a broader approach and create lessons and activities that help students find their voices, becoming courageous activists.