Since 2019, TOLI conducts a yearly Holocaust and human rights education seminar for Ukrainian teachers in partnership with the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies.
TOLI’s Ukraine Seminar brings together educators from across Ukraine to contribute to improving the quality of Holocaust and human rights education in Ukraine. The Seminar provides a rich opportunity to develop best practices for teaching about these topics, and to understand the contemporary relevance of Ukraine’s Holocaust history. Using a learner-centered approach, the methodology of the seminar focuses on experiential learning and human rights-based approach to education. The seminar offers a balanced approach between cognitive and emotional elements, with ample reflection time to develop action plans as a crucial aspect of social change.
Highlights of the Seminar include:
- Presentations and workshops by local and international experts on Holocaust history in Ukraine, human rights education, propaganda, hate speech, and contemporary antisemitism
- Site visits, including guided tours of Babyn Yar and local synagogues
- Testimony from Holocaust survivors and their descendants
The objective of the seminar is to:
- Develop teachers’ awareness of historical and current dialectical discussions concerning the Holocaust and other instances of social injustice
- Develop teachers’ understanding of the impact of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination at the individual, group, and societal level
- Deepen teachers’ understanding of Jewish life before and after the Holocaust
- Increase appreciation for innovative, student-centered teaching methods, including extra-curricular activities and partnerships between schools and other institutions and organizations
- Promote a blended approach of Holocaust education and human rights education
Impact Grants
Graduates of the seminar have the opportunity to apply for a impact grant to support a project related to Holocaust education and social justice. The grant consists of financial support and continuous mentorship throughout the school year. Every year, about 10 educators from Ukraine use a mini-grant to implement local projects with their students.