TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN 2021
Over 150 educators from across the US took part in 12 professional development seminars across the US, many of them in-person following a year of only virtual programs. The high turnout of educators was in response to the rising levels of hatred and intolerance seen in the US over the past year. These satellite programs took place in: Arizona, Oregon, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Maryland, California, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Virginia, New Mexico, as well as the New York Flagship seminar. In Europe, TOLI programs have concluded for the summer, these programs included Italy, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, and Serbia.
The Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) provides professional development seminars for educators in the US and abroad that link the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides to current world events, working with teachers to promote a human rights and social justice agenda in their classrooms.
BRINGING LESSONS OF THE HOLOCAUST TO THE CLASSROOM
TOLI in US and Europe
United States
Twelve seminars offering professional development for Holocaust educators are scheduled for the US this summer, whether in person or virtual to be decided according to the public health situation. These include Satellite Seminars, offered in 11 states across the country, and the flagship New York Seminar, planned for three days in June. TOLI made a successful shift last year to online programs, offering a full schedule of workshops, study groups, lectures, and webinars. Continue to US Programs in 2021.
Europe
Spain and Serbia will join the network of 10 European countries this year where TOLI conducts teacher training programs. Along with the annual seminars in Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, and Ukraine. (Greece and Portugal programs resume in 2022.) Webinars are scheduled for TOLI alumni teachers to share best practices and collaborative possibilities in Europe. For more information, see International Programs in 2021.
TOLI Teachers Recognized with Awards
We are proud of the many teachers in the US and Europe who have participated in TOLI seminars on Holocaust education and human rights. They have enriched their schools and classrooms, providing their students with a greater appreciation for social justice and democratic pluralism. Here are profiles of three of our TOLI alumni, two in the US and one in Europe.
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Congratulations to Kasia Łaziuk, TOLI Program Coordinator in Poland, who recently won first prize in the international competition “My Memory, My Responsibility. In My Place,” which was organized by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Institute. Kasia’s submission details the work she has done with her students to keep Jewish culture alive in Poland. |
 The photo is © Zaitz Photography. |
Congratulations to Scott Lone, who was recognized with the Rolfs Educational Foundation Award by the West Bend School District. Scott attended TOLI’s Flagship seminar in 2014 and TOLI’s Leadership seminar 2016 and 2019. Scott is the founding coordinator of the satellite seminar program in Wisconsin. |
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Congratulations to Toshimi Abe-Janiga, who was recognized with the Palm Beach County Teacher of the Year Award. Toshimi participated in the TOLI summer seminar in New York City in 2014 and the national TOLI leadership conference in Detroit in 2017, and she took part in the seminar in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2019. Joining TOLI’s network enabled Toshimi to connect with a community of like minded educators to whom she could reach out for support. |
TOLI in the News
Portland Tribune – Clackamas County educators implement Holocaust curriculum
By Jaelen Ogadhoh Two Clackamas County educators are attending a five-day seminar focused on implementing Holocaust education and other instruction on racial and ethnic discrimination in Oregon. The program, called […continue]
Loudoun Times-Mirror – Educator program explores effects of Holocaust, racial injustice
By John Battiston Last week, Loudoun County Public Schools partnered with The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Education (TOLI) to conduct a seminar exploring the Holocaust and Virginia’s history of […continue]
Mini-Grants
Graduates of TOLI Summer Seminars are eligible to apply for mini-grants to support projects in their classrooms, their schools, and their communities. Grants are awarded to support a wide variety of classroom work, visits by Holocaust survivors, field trips to Holocaust centers and other relevant sites, and extended programming and community outreach that bring Holocaust and social justice education to wider audiences.
Learn about Mini-GrantsEuro-Grants
Graduates of our summer seminars in Europe are eligible to apply for mini-grants of up to $300 for projects in their classrooms, their schools, and their communities. These grants have been used to support teaching students about the Holocaust, human rights, Jewish life in their country or community, discrimination, tolerance, and respect for diversity.
Learn about Euro-GrantsSatellite Programs
The Satellite Seminars bring TOLI programs to teachers across the country. These five-day seminars are designed to provide a collaborative and safe environment in which teachers can explore the difficult subject of the Holocaust and other genocides. While each Satellite focuses on local issues, the overall goal is for teachers in all of the Satellites to leave with strategies, materials, and ideas for use in their own classrooms. One long-term goal is for teachers to become advocates for social change and to return to their classrooms with action plans that will enable them and their students to have a positive impact on their communities.
Satellite Locations
- Arizona
- California
- Salisbury, Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Farmington Hills, Michigan
- St. Cloud, Minnesota
- Billings, Montana
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Portland, Oregon
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
International Programs
For 2021, eight national seminars – in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Serbia, Italy, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Spain – and one international conference in Romania are planned, all of them expected to take place in-person. Coordinated by TOLI International Programs Director Oana Nestian-Sandu, this will be TOLI’s first transnational seminar for European teachers, bringing together educators from 15 countries. For more information, see International Programs in 2021.