Eric Soto-Shed

Eric Soto-Shed is a lecturer on Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). His professional and research pursuits center on curriculum development and teacher training. His work aims to promote inquiry and equity in education, particularly within K-12 history, civics, and social studies classrooms. He co-leads the Civics Thinking Project, a research initiative focused on creating innovative, research-based civics assessments and curriculum. Soto-Shed co-chairs HGSE’s the foundations course, How People Learn, and instructs courses in curriculum design as well as instructional methods for history and civic education.

Outside Harvard, Soto-Shed consults on school districts' initiatives to develop and implement social studies curriculum. He conducts professional development workshops for educators at all levels, focusing on historical inquiry, teaching controversial issues, and making learning accessible. He has received several grants from the Library of Congress to train educators to teach with primary sources. He also serves on the board of Self-Evident Education, a nonprofit that uses multimedia curriculum to educate about the history of race and racism.

With a 25-year career in education, Soto-Shed has consistently advocated for teachers and students. His roles have included founding director of Harvard's teacher residency program, director of Secondary History/Social Studies Education at Brown University, and teacher educator at Stanford and NYU. His work is deeply influenced by his 8-year tenure as a social studies teacher in New York City and his enduring commitment to supporting youth from underserved communities.