Our Centenary Fellows

CEO, Parallel Histories US

A native of Scotland, Colin Baker earned a M.A Honours in Politics and Modern History at the University of Edinburgh before moving to the US and earning a M.Sc.Ed in Secondary Education from Old Dominion University in Virginia. Since the early 2000s Colin has taught Advanced Placement European History in Virginia, while also recently serving as Co-Chair of the College Board’s National Development Committee for AP European History, and as a Question and Exam Leader. Colin currently also serves as Program Director for K12 Outreach for Virginia Tech’s European Union Center, CEUTS (Center for European and Transatlantic Studies) since 2021.

In these leadership positions Colin coordinates with university professors, educational organizations and high school teachers to deliver high quality training, conferences and resources to teachers empowering them to mentor and inspire their students to become engaged and informed critical thinkers. In helping lead Parallel Histories US, Colin is enthusiastic about the future as students use Parallel Histories ebooks and learn to grapple with complex dual-narrative conflicted histories. In doing so they learn life-long skills as active, engaged citizens who are well equipped to build and renew healthy democratic societies.

www.linkedin.com/in/colin-baker-947b6172

COO, Parallel Histories US

Pauline Chaloff has taught World History, Modern World History and AP World History at public high schools in the Boston suburbs for 16 years. She currently teaches at Needham High School where she teaches Modern World History. In addition to her work in education, she works as a freelance writer and community organizer.

Pauline’s greatest joy is making history meaningful, accessible and engaging for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. She enjoys creating content for teachers that exposes students to diverse perspectives to encourage critical thinking, empathy and personal growth.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauline-chaloff-98b709202/

In 1997 Bill was elected as Labour MP for Harlow. Bill went on to serve as a
senior minister at the Foreign Office, the MOD and as Higher Education
Minister. 
 
After losing his seat in Harlow in 2010 in 2011 Bill became Deputy Vice
Chancellor at Plymouth University (Internationalisation and the Student
Experience) and in 2012 Bill became Vice Chancellor of the University of
Bedfordshire, serving successfully as Vice Chancellor for 8 years.
 
From 2021 to 2022 Bill served a term as President of the University of Kurdistan
Hewler, based in Iraqi Kurdistan.

From September 2022 Bill has worked as President of Zoom Abroad, an innovative
EdTech Company specialising in international student recruitment and
partnerships.

Bill is now Chief Executive of Parallel Histories, an educational charity which resources schools in the teaching of contested history. Bill Chairs the Parallel Histories US Board.

Bill is passionate about the role of Parallel Histories in developing critical thinking, oracy skills and confidence in school students and the way it develops them as civic and political citizens.

I have been involved with Parallel Histories since the start, helping develop the dual narrative approach, piloting early materials in schools and leading Erasmus programmes. I also served as Chair of Trustees for six years.

Over the last ten years, I have seen the benefits of the Parallel Histories approach in schools in many settings; field trips, classroom and online debates and in gatherings large and small where Parallel Histories draws young people together across the community divides to debate the historical issues that keep people apart.

Witnessing the empowering effect that Parallel Histories brings young people is a powerful motivation to keep developing opportunities for teachers and their students.

Through our international community of schools we bring young people together at a time of isolationism. And in an algorithm dominated space online, we help young people to build the confidence, skills and knowledge they need to navigate a safe path and make up their own minds.

In 32 years of teaching history, 22 as a Head of Department, Parallel Histories was the standout innovation in history teaching and I am delighted to play a part.

After starting his working life serving his apprenticeship in mechanical engineering, Steve built his career on the back of helping organizations attain their full potential; both the clients he partnered with and organizations he led. After entering the world of management consulting in 1990, Steve held significant roles in global professional service firms, becoming the CEO of REL Consultancy Group, President of Hackett-REL following a transaction, and held key roles at EY, including Deputy Managing Partner for the Transactions Advisory Service, Americas, Global Leader of Strategy & Operation (EY Parthenon), Americas Vice Chair for Consulting, Americas Deputy Managing Partner. Throughout his career, he was an advisor to global Fortune 500 corporations and Private Equity firms.

His interest in Parallel Histories was founded through his relationship with one of the founders, Michael Davies, who had amazing ability to excite people about the potential of Parallel Histories to help solve a significant societal issue. That issue is that people tend to have the perspectives formed based upon their sources of insight, whether that be from the communities where they grew up / live, their sources of history and news and these perceptions can be in complete contrast to others, which can then become flash points. Those flash points can be exacerbated through an inability to have constructive discussions to find a resolution or to at least increase the understanding of other viewpoints. This issue resonated with Steve with what he sees around the world and within businesses today.

Using some of the most contentious historical events as the topics to hone the skills of the youth, to open their minds and help them understand sources of data and potential bias, research, listen and engage is constructive debate, attaining a superpower that will serve them well both personally and professionally and will help societies and businesses alike in the long term.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepayne27/