Lesson 6: Day 3 - History of ICY

Google Doc for this Lesson

Activity 1: Introducing the ICY Graduation

Overview: In this activity, students will be introduced to the Institute for Colored Youth (ICY) through the idea of a graduation ceremony. 

Time: 15 minutes

Format: Whole Group

Objective: SWBAT identify key elements of past Institute for Colored Youth graduation ceremonies and compare them to contemporary educational activities in Philadelphia.

• Project the Newsletter site.

• • Read “Octavius V. Catto Will Return to Philadelphia” aloud.

  • Watch the short video on the Institute for Colored Youth.

  • Project ICY Textbooks and read the Introduction aloud.

• Explain to students that the ICY Graduation is happening in May 2026!

• Explain that they will write essays connecting historical moments and figures with contemporary issues happening in Philadelphia, and around the world.  

Activity 2: Exploring ICY Graduates

Time: 35 minutes

Format: Small Groups

Overview: In this activity, students will step into history by exploring a digital archive of Institute for Colored Youth graduates. The website highlights graduates of the Institute for Colored Youth (ICY) — one of the most important schools for Black education in the 19th century. Each graduate’s story shows how ICY prepared young people to become leaders in the world.

Objective: SWBAT investigate the stories of ICY graduates by exploring a digital archive, identifying key details about their accomplishments, and connecting their lives to broader themes of Black education and leadership.

• Introduce the idea: “Imagine you are attending an ICY graduation — today we’ll meet the graduates through a digital archive.”

• Read ahead of time, and project the History of the Institute for Colored Youth.

• • Provide a brief overview of ICY.

• Next, show the Institute for Colored Youth Faculty, 1852-1866 page and review the list of Faculty members.

• Project ICY Textbooks and Graduates and read the bios.

• Introduce students to the Biographical Sketches  written by Fanny Jackson Coppin (p. 1-2).

• Divide students into small groups of three to four students.

• • Assign each group one ICY Student to investigate. 

  • • Note: Groups may be assigned to the same ICY student

• Share the ICY Graduate Research Organizer and invite students to research their assigned ICY graduate in small groups. 

Ask students to make their own copies: ICY Graduate Research Organizer- Make a Copy