Dear Educator:

This November, New York state will rename the Triborough Bridge the  Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to honor his legacy as a true champion of social justice.

We are pleased and honored to provide you with lessons and resource materials designed to help instill in students the concept of social justice and the principles of a just society that are the cornerstones of Robert F. Kennedy's legacy.

This project is the result of a partnership between the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial and  New York State United Teachers in collaboration with the Office of New York State Gov. David Paterson and the New York State Education Department. It was underwritten in part by a generous contribution from The Rockefeller Foundation. "Speak Up, Speak Out: Robert F. Kennedy, Champion of Social Justice" draws on Sen. Kennedy's mission and  vision to help students grasp the principles and philosophy of social justice. Individual unit lessons have been created for grades 4, 8 and 11. The materials have been developed by educators with input from primary sources who were close associates of Robert Kennedy. The lessons are consistent with New York state standards and are designed to achieve them through study about the life of one of our nation's heroes.

We can think of no greater tribute than to ensure Robert F. Kennedy's zeal and advocacy for social justice is passed on to future generations of students.

We encourage you to review these materials and draw upon them in conjunction with the bridge renaming, and as a continuing part of your curriculum. All the lessons can be accessed online at www.nysut.org/rfk and on the RFK Memorial and NYSED Web sites.

We invite you to join us in our efforts to advance Robert F. Kennedy's legacy and the cause of social justice, and to share your feedback at rfk@nysutmail.org.

For more information

• A Letter to Educators
• Acknowledgments

"Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce laws; but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us. every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted; when we tolerate what we know to be wrong; when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too frightened; when we fail to speak up and speak out – we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice."

Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968) on June 21, 1961, in remarks before the Joint Defense Appeal of the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith, Chicago.

"Speak Up, Speak Put: Robert F. Kennedy, Champion of Social Justice," is the product of a partnership between the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, dedicated to advancing human rights by providing innovative support to courageous human rights defenders around the world; and New York State United Teachers, a statewide union of more than 600,000 professionals dedicated to strengthening education and health care and advancing social justice. This project was developed in collaboration with the Office of New York State Governor David Paterson and the State Education Department and underwritten in part by a generous contribution from the Rockefeller Foundation.

© 2008 New York State United Teachers PHOTO CREDITS: Photos provided by Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images and by El-Wise Noisette; DESIGN: Dana Fournier/NYSUT