We are a volunteer organization of practicing History and Social Science teachers in Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools. We have been serving our members since 1978. 

We have a wide membership in Ontario’s English public and Catholic systems as well as in its various private schools. We work closely with our sister association, Association des enseignants et des enseignantes de sciences humaines de l’Ontario (AESHO) to support History and Social Science teachers in the Francophone public and Catholic systems in Ontario.

We also work closely with the Ontario History, Humanities and Social Science Consultants’ Association (OHHSSCA), and the Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers’ Association (OESSTA). We work with all subject associations in Ontario through the Ontario Teachers’ Federation Curriculum Forum.

We work together to support our members in teaching History, Economics, Law, Politics, Civics, and the Social Sciences and Humanities. We do this through our annual fall conference, our blog and newsletters, and our social media channels. We hold annual summer institutes through the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF), and we create curriculum supports by and for our members.

We have been an integral partner in the development and implementation of Ontario’s curriculum over many decades. We support inquiry learning and disciplinary thinking in our curriculum and classrooms. We believe that inquiry approaches can inspire all of our learners in History and the Social Sciences. 

We participated in recent updates to the mandatory History curriculum to better support education for reconciliation. We support further action by members, school boards and ministries of education to ensure that we are fully addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, especially #62 and #63. We believe that our members have an important role in learning and sharing with our students the historical and contemporary truths of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in Canada. As an association, we are committed to building respectful relationships so that we can continue this work together.

Please visit Education for Reconciliation to learn more.

We are a member of the Social Studies Educators’ Network of Canada – Réseau pour l’enseignement des sciences sociales du Canada (SSENC/RESSC), a newly-formed national network of social studies teachers’ associations across Canada. We collaborate with other subject associations in Ontario through the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF).

Please visit Our Partners to learn more.