Professional Development for Educators

Local Programs

ADL logoThe Anti-Defamation League's Braun Holocaust Institute's programs for educators, students, community leaders, and families explore the enduring impact of the Holocaust and apply its lessons to contemporary issues of prejudice and moral decision making. Through these efforts, the Institute hopes to ensure that the Holocaust—and the brutality that humankind inflicted upon itself—is never forgotten.

An annual Bearing Witness™—Anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and Contemporary Issues program, a four-day residential program held at Daylesford Abbey that brings together CatholicBearing Witness-school educators and administrators from dioceses across Pennsylvania and Delaware to learn about the historical relationship between the Jewish and Catholic communities, the history of anti-Semitism, the role of the Church during the Holocaust, recent changes in Church teachings on Jews and Judaism and issues of stereotyping and prejudice in contemporary society.

Gratz CollegeGratz College offers a Certificate in Holocaust Studies intended for those who would like to increase their knowledge of the Holocaust and its significance, including educators, clergy, community religious and lay leaders, those involved in interfaith dialogue, and members of religious and secular communal organizations. The program of study places particular emphasis on the Jewish historical and cultural context of the Holocaust. The Certificate may be taken for graduate or undergraduate credit.

PHEC logoThe Pennsylvania Holocaust Education Council (PHEC) provides instructional guidance, support and resources to educators who teach the history of the Holocaust and its relevance to contemporary issues across the state of Pennsylvania.

St. Joseph's UniversitySponsored by Saint Joseph's University, the Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches (ASC) is devoted to remembering, learning and teaching the lessons of the Holocaust in tandem with the study of the churches’ struggle and failure to confront Nazi anti-Semitism and the "Final Solution."  It is a project of The Philadelphia Center on the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights also based at Saint Joseph's University with the Annual Scholars Conference.

West Chester UniversityThe Holocaust and Genocide Studies at West Chester University of Pennsylvania offers both undergraduate courses on the Holocaust as well as a Master of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, a certification program, and an undergraduate minor. 

 

National and International Programs

Facing History logoFacing History and Ourselves is an international educational and professional development nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives.

American Gathering logoThe Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Teachers Program developed by Vladka Meed in 1984 is a program is for secondary school teachers who implement Holocaust studies in their classrooms. The group visits Washington, DC, Israel, Germany and Poland to see historic sites and hear from survivors and prominent scholars. The program is sponsored by the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors, the Jewish Labor Committee, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the American Federation of Teachers.

The Education Division of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum conducts the annual Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators. The conference is funded by a grant from the Belfer Foundation. Middle- and high-school educators with less USHMM logothan five years of experience teaching about the Holocaust are invited to apply to attend this conference. In addition to history, social studies, foreign-language and English teachers, teachers of journalism and other content areas are encouraged to attend. Community college faculty members are also eligible to apply.

The National Institute for Holocaust Education of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum conducts an annual Teacher Fellowship Program for one week each summer. Each year up to 15 educators in grades 7 through 12 and community college faculty are designated as new Museum Teacher Fellows. These educators must show evidence of extensive knowledge of Holocaust history, successful teaching experience, and participation in community and professional organizations. Teacher Fellows organize conferences, lead workshops, write curricula, serve on boards of Holocaust museums and education centers, lead study trips to Holocaust sites, and serve as conduits to the Museum for educators, institutions, professional organizations, and community groups in their regions.

Yad VashemYad Vashem—The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, Jerusalem, Israel—offers a range of professional development opportunities, both online courses and seminars at Yad Vashem.