The proposed professional development project aims to assist pre-service and in-service teachers in Illinois in developing critical visual literacy skills necessary for analyzing and utilizing Library of Congress visual primary sources to create engaging classroom activities. A critical visual literacy framework and tools for integrating critical visual literacy skills into lesson planning will be developed and implemented into teacher preparation and teacher education programs at National Louis University and Illinois State University. In addition, a virtual workshop series will be offered to educators in Illinois to guide them in utilizing visual primary sources through a critical visual literacy lens into their lesson planning and implementation in their settings.