Professional Development

“My students have shown kindness and empathy to each other after studying the Holocaust.”

Professional development opportunities at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center are designed to support teachers in delivering high-quality instruction that builds students’ content knowledge, empathy, and critical thinking skills. Educators will leave with tangible resources that can easily be integrated into existing curriculum.

In addition to professional development at the Center, HHC’s trained staff will come to your district or school to conduct on-site professional development.

Upcoming Professional Development at HHC

Make Your Mark: Upstander Workshop & Museum Tour
Sunday, October 17, 2021 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Hybrid (in person at HHC and online)

What does it mean to be an upstander, and who can be one? Learn the definition and draw inspiration from individuals who seized their moment to create change. Each of us has 24 inherent character strengths we can call upon to help us navigate the world. Take the VIA survey, discover your strengths and learn how to use them to be the best of humanity today. As part of the workshop, participants will join a special Upstander-focused tour of the museum. Educators will leave with ideas for incorporating Upstander activities into the classroom and ways to inspire students to make their mark in our world today.

Free and open to all educators
Up to 4 Contact Hours Available
Registration Required

Veterans Day Educator Workshop: Unpacking Liberators’ Experiences
Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Hybrid (in person at HHC and online)

In honor of Veterans Day, learn the stories of Elmer Reis and Milt Schloss, two American soldiers from Cincinnati who participated in the liberation of the Ohrdruf concentration camp. Using HHC’s ECHOING VOICES: HISTORY UNPACKED resource, educators will work with primary sources and testimony that can be easily integrated into the classroom. In addition, HHC welcomes special guest, Paul LaRue, Member-At-Large of the Ohio Board of Education, who will highlight how to use the Library of Congress’ Veteran’s History Project in the classroom.

Up to 2 Contact Hours Available
Free and open to all educators
Registration Required

Teaching with Testimony: An Evening with Eva Schloss
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Workshop | 7:00 PM In Person with Eva Schloss

Join us for a unique opportunity to learn how to teach your students empathy, critical thinking, and literacy skills with the power of survivor testimony in the classroom. We will look at several forms of testimony, then preview the interactive biography of Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank, who is featured in our new Dimensions of Testimony gallery. Afterwards, Eva Schloss will share her powerful personal story live in Reakirt Auditorium at Union Terminal.

Up to 3 Contact Hours Available
Registration Required

District On-Site Professional Development

Tailored to fit each school district’s unique initiatives, HHC’s meaningful in-person or virtual on-site professional development are created to develop students’ critical thinking, literacy, and leadership skills utilizing Holocaust and Humanity education. Below is a sampling of the professional development opportunities the Holocaust & Humanity Center can provide to school districts:

Developing Empathy & Critical Thinking through Holocaust Education
RESEARCH shows that students who are exposed to high quality Holocaust education exhibit more tolerance, higher critical thinking skills, and a strong sense of civic engagement and social responsibility. In this dynamic workshop, educators will be presented with best practices in Holocaust education from contextualizing the Holocaust for adolescent learners to harnessing the power of survivor testimonies and primary sources. Teachers from across content areas will leave with creative, Common Core-aligned strategies to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust inspire action today.

From Bystander to Upstander: Harnessing Character Strengths to Take Action
What does it mean to be an Upstander? Upstanders are individuals who use their CHARACTER STRENGTHS to stand up for others, fight against injustice in both big and small ways, and inspire action. In this interactive workshop, educators will identify their own character strengths and reflect on how best to leverage them in a classroom setting. Workshop participants will also glean strategies for guiding students in activating their unique character strengths to become upstanders in their communities. School districts with equity and inclusion, service learning, or youth leadership initiatives will find this workshop especially applicable.

Stemming the Tide of Hate: How to Respond
With hate crimes in the United States soaring to record highs, educators may find themselves ill-equipped to unpack these unsettling statistics with students. Whether it is effectively addressing antisemitism, xenophobia, or racism in your school community, or on the national stage, HHC staff are here to support school personnel. Using research-driven strategies, this workshop provides educators with a framework for navigating these difficult conversations with students and preparing students to take informed action against hate at home.

Email Lauren Karas, Education Outreach Manager, at [email protected], for more information.