European Impact Grants
The European Impact Grant Program of The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights started in 2016, as a complementary program to the yearly seminars for teachers organized in various European countries.
Seminar graduates – teachers of various disciplines and working with students from various age groups – have the opportunity to apply for a small grant to develop local projects with their students, to put into action the competences they gained during the seminar.
Teachers are encouraged to be creative and design projects which are innovative, employ participatory learning approaches and focus on the topic of Holocaust and human rights. The program offers pedagogical counseling and support for teachers to use the interdisciplinary methodology designed and promoted by TOLI, which combines Holocaust education, human rights education and intercultural education. Through this methodology, teachers create meaningful learning processes for students and develop not only students’ knowledge of history, but also their competences for democratic culture, becoming active citizens in front of present social injustices.
The educational activities supported through TOLI Impact Grant Program can be organized by teachers either individually or in collaboration with other colleagues. In collaborative projects, students get the opportunity to broaden and deepen their understanding about the Holocaust and human rights, by learning not only from their teachers and colleagues, but also from peers in other schools, cities or countries, whom they can easily meet online.
The activities carried out by teachers are designed to help students learn about various topics related to the Holocaust and human rights, such as the Holocaust at European level or at national / regional / local level, the Jewish community in their countries and specifically in their hometowns, Jewish traditions, Roma culture and history, stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, racism, respect for diversity, countering antisemitism and other forms of bigotry and hate. Students usually conduct research – online and in local or national archives – read books, watch documentaries and films, meet survivors or their relatives, meet with members of the local Jewish communities, visit museums, synagogues and cemeteries, write essays, make drawings, create posters, photo exhibitions and multimedia presentations. They share the outputs they produce with wider audiences and make them available to be used by their younger colleagues. The educational methods used in the projects implemented during the 2022-2023 school year were summarized in the form of a word cloud, according to their frequency.
Here is what some of the TOLI teachers say about the Impact Grant Program:
- Vesna Kostic, Serbia: It is so important to address the topics of antisemitism, Holocaust and human rights. Through the Impact Grant Program we are receiving support to constantly remind ourselves and our students of these topics, so that we can prevent human rights violations.
- Maria Vincenza Matteucci, Italy: What I appreciate most about the TOLI Impact Grant Program is the collaboration with other teachers and the possibility of accessing funding to better develop the educational process for my students.
- Maria Boiko, Ukraine: Through the TOLI Impact Grant Program, I got new teaching experience and met inspiring people.
- Vaia Manoli, Greece: The participation in the Impact Grant Program provided to those who participated – teachers and students – the possibility to approach such a difficult subject in an appropriate methodological way, in order to develop necessary life skills. In addition, it strengthened the synergies between teachers both inside and outside our school and enriched the school library with materials related to the teaching of the Holocaust, open to the educational community.
- Livia Ghiurcuta, Romania: TOLI Impact Grant Program is very important in my professional activity. However, it’s not the money/grants that are most important, but the support received, the recommendations and the openness that TOLI has towards education, culture, history and the future of our students.
TOLI graduates may receive one grant per school year for a maximum of 6 years. For more information about how to apply for an impact grant, alumni of TOLI Seminars in Europe should contact Oana Bajka at obajka@tolinstitute.org.
A small selection of inspiring projects implemented by TOLI teachers in different countries is available below.
