We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident: Teaching the Holocaust and Human Rights

About the 2026 Program

What truths are self-evident? Is democracy still a worthy goal? How does Holocaust and human rights education contribute to these conversations?

Experience an inquiry and writing-based seminar to examine the Holocaust as a case study of systematic dehumanization and explore the subsequent reframing of human rights through an interdisciplinary lens.

2026 Program Benefits

• Live and learn at Berea College and the Carter G. Woodson Center for Interracial Education
• Collaborate with colleagues dedicated to enacting human rights in our classrooms
• Gain experience, content, and materials to teach about the Holocaust, antisemitism, antiracism, and human rights with confidence
• Plan for a culturally inclusive and trauma-informed classroom culture
• Experience reflective writing as a way to process complex information
• Visit a local Jewish synagogue for Shabbat services and a kiddush lunch

In partnership with The University of Kentucky – Jewish Heritage Fund Holocaust Education Initiative, The Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky, Carter G. Woodson Center at Berea College, and Temple Adath Israel in Lexington.

2025 Program Report

“When we intertwine history, what do we learn?”

This is one of the many topics our teachers explored at our seminar in Berea, Kentucky.

The seminar invited teachers to draw connections among histories that continue to impact the present, and envision a collaborative future. Led by TOLI Teachers Lauren Hill and Wendy Zagray Warren, participants worked together to strengthen the teaching of these histories in Kentucky through an interdisciplinary lens.

Through meaningful lectures, workshops, reflective writing, and tours, teachers examined the interconnections between Jewish and Black histories, and planned for a culturally-inclusive and trauma-informed classroom culture.

Some highlights included touring Berea’s Black History sites, visiting Temple Adath Israel in Lexington, hearing about Black History Inquiry Design from the Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky, discussing the shared history of Jim Crow and Nuremberg Laws, and exploring how to navigate bias and microaggressions in education. We also hosted renowned authors Crystal Wilkinson and Arwen Donahue for impressive workshops.

Together, participants gained experience, content, and materials to effectively and confidently teach about the Holocaust and Black History in Kentucky.

What Teachers Said

Jillian Bailey teaches Grade 10-12 English at a rural public school in an economically challenged area of Eastern Kentucky. Her community faces persistent poverty, limited access to healthcare, and high rates of generational unemployment. Many of Jillian’s students’ families struggle to meet basic needs, and their school often serves as a crucial support system.

Jillian’s students have had limited exposure to diverse cultural perspectives and global historical events beyond their immediate environments. “This makes it even more essential to bring in curriculum that connects them with broader human stories – stories of resistance, injustice, survival, and activism,” Jillian says.

Throughout each school year, Jillian integrates Human Rights education into her teaching, specifically focusing on the Holocaust with her 11th Grade students. “Teaching about the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement in this context is vital,” she explains. “These histories provide powerful lenses through which students can understand the dangers of prejudice, the importance of standing up for others, and the strength found in solidarity. It also invites them to draw parallels to their own experiences and recognize their potential as agents of change in their community and beyond.”

Jillian is passionate about connecting historical narratives to students who may not see themselves in traditional textbook stories. “It takes intentional, empathetic, and culturally responsive teaching to make learning meaningful and relevant under [challenging] circumstances,” she says. Jillian aims to help her students make personal, emotional, and ethical connections to history, encouraging them to think critically about justice, identity, and the role of ordinary people in shaping society.

Jillian attended our seminar in Berea, Kentucky because it posed an opportunity to learn how to bring crucial stories and perspectives back to her school and community. “I work in a region where conversations about diversity, equity, and historical trauma don’t frequently occur. I’m passionate about using history to foster empathy and action in places where those values can be transformative – and perhaps even healing.”