Facing History and Ourselves - International Feed

Facing History Mentioned at International IB Conference

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 22:03:38 +0000

press_type:

In the News

November 3, 2013

Terry Hedger, Headmaster of Halcyon International School, a new International Baccalaureate (IB) school in London, recently attended an international IB conference in the Hague, Netherlands, where renowned educational scholar Howard Gardner praised Facing History and Ourselves for our work globally. Hedger wrote about the conference and Halcyon's growing work with Facing History on his school's blog.

Read Hedger's post on the Halcyon London International School blog.

Learn more about Facing History’s work in London.

Facing History Co-Hosts Award-Winning Author and Queer Storyteller Ken Setterington Nov. 5

EmilyBlackie — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:24:55 +0000

press_type:

Press Release

October 30, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2013

Contact: Leora Schaefer
Facing History and Ourselves
416-901-3831/Leora_Schaefer@facing.org

Facing History Co-Hosts Award-Winning Author and Queer Storyteller Ken Setterington Nov. 5
Evening event is free and open to the public as part of Holocaust Education Week

TORONTO, Ontario –Facing History and Ourselves, in partnership with Kulanu Toronto and the Equity Studies Program New College-University of Toronto, as part of Toronto’s Holocaust Education Week, will co-host award-winning author and queer storyteller Ken Setterington to speak about the rarely told history of the persecution of homosexuals by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust, which is also the subject of his groundbreaking book Branded by the Pink Triangle (Second Story Press, 2013).

“The history of the persecution of gay men during the Holocaust is one that is not widely known,” said Leora Schaefer, director of Facing History’s Toronto office. “Many of the gay victims died without sharing their stories, these are experiences that we will never know. We are pleased to co-present this event, which will give voice to those men who courageously shared their testimonies.”

Justine Apple, Executive Director of Kulanu Toronto adds, ““It’s important that people learn about the haunting, compelling stories of these men. We all need to be exposed to the incredible resilience that they demonstrated in the face of unspeakable cruelty that was the Holocaust.”

The free community event on Tuesday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the William Doo Auditorium at the New College-University of Toronto features photographs from the period, a survivor’s video testimony, and stories from the lives of survivors.

Branded by the Pink Triangle combines historical research, first person accounts, and individual voices to bring this time to life for readers. Stories of bravery in the face of inhuman cruelty, friendship found in the depths of despair in the camps, and the perseverance of the human spirit will both educate and inspire.

"(The book) speaks volumes about a time that few LGBT youths today, contemplating who to take to the prom or the parade, would have knowledge about." – Judith Timson, The Toronto Star.

This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. To RSVP, visit www.facinghistory.org/toronto. For media interviews, please contact Leora Schaefer at 614-901-3831 or Leora_Schaefer@facing.org.

Facing History and Ourselves is an international nonprofit organization created in 1976 and provides ideas, methods and tools that support the practical needs, and the spirits, of educators worldwide who share the goal of creating a better, more informed and more thoughtful society. For more information, visit facinghistory.org.

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As the voice of the Jewish LGBT community, Kulanu Toronto aims to provide professional, caring, and confidential support services as well as a variety of social, cultural, and educational programs to our members. At Kulanu, we embrace diversity and promote respect and acceptance within a warm, welcoming, and safe environment.

The Equity Studies Program at New College –University of Toronto, provides an interdisciplinary approach to social justice theories and practices in a variety of local and global contexts. Areas of emphasis include disability studies, global food equity and social advocacy.

Facing History Students Create Public Holocaust Memorial

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 16:08:25 +0000

press_type:

In the News

July 7, 2013

After working with Facing History and Ourselves staff in London, members of the Haringey Borough Council’s Equality and Youth Offending Services built a public Holocaust memorial in the Holocaust Memorial Garden of Bruce Castle Museum in Tottenham, United Kingdom.

The memorial is dedicated to local Holocaust survivor Roman Halter who passed away in January, 2012. A painter, Halter survived imprisonment in two concentration camps during World War II and came to Britain after the war.

"Roman dedicated his life to telling his story so the lessons of the past live on," Haringey Mayor Sheila Peacock said during the dedication ceremony this past week. "He would have been proud of the work our young people did to create this sculpture."

Read “The Holocaust Memorial Garden in Bruce Castle Museum Created by Haringey Borough Council’s Equality and Youth Offending Services” in the Haringey Independent.

Learn more about Facing History’s work in the United Kingdom.

Forum for Dialogue Among Nations Partners with Facing History

EmilyBlackie — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 13:26:26 +0000

press_type:

In the News

June 28, 2013

Facing History and Ourselves has entered into a new partnership with the Forum for Dialogue Among Nations, a Polish-based nonprofit organization fostering Polish-Jewish dialogue and tolerance through education. This past June, the Forum for Dialogue Among Nations hosted Facing History staff and educators, and other Jewish educators from across the United States, for workshops and discussions with prominent academics and other leaders in the Polish Jewish community. During the trip, the educators also visited places and institutions associated with Polish-Jewish history, including Krakow, Warsaw, and the site of the former concentration camp in Treblinka.

“The study visit was the first result of cooperation between the Forum and Facing History and Ourselves,” the Forum wrote on their website. “We aspire to have many more educators and teachers re-evaluating Polish-Jewish relations and thus seeing them in a new light.”

The collaboration is part of a project through the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C. and is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.

View photos from the trip and learn more about the collaboration between Facing History and the Forum for Dialogue Among Nations.

Learn more about Facing History’s Jewish Education Program.

Waterdown, Ontario, Educator Receives Facing History Funding to Create Virtual Holocaust Museum

EmilyBlackie — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:21:41 +0000

press_type:

Press Release

May 29, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact: Emily Blackie
Facing History and Ourselves
Emily_Blackie@facing.org
216-321-9220 x226

Waterdown, Ontario, Educator Receives Facing History Funding to Create Virtual Holocaust Museum
Innovation grants honor 20 Facing History educators around the world

May 29, 2013, WATERDOWN, Ontario – This spring, the Brookline-based international educational non-profit Facing History and Ourselves awarded $40,000 dollars to fund 20 innovative, cutting-edge classroom projects around the world, including $2,000 for high school teacher Rob Flosman at Waterdown District High School in Waterdown, Ontario. Flosman will work with his students to build a community-based World War II and Holocaust Museum. His Genocide Studies students will act as docents when other schools visit the museum. The goal will be to make the museum “virtual,” so that it is widely available online to students around the world.

About the Margot Stern Strom Innovation Grants
The Innovation Grants were established in 2006 but reintroduced this year with a focus on technological innovation and collaborative learning. Each year, Facing History will review the previous year’s award winners and their projects. At the end of the year, one grand prize finalist will receive $5,000 to continue their work. For a complete listing of individual winners and winning projects, click here.

About Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves was created in 1976 by Brookline, Massachusetts, by educators who believed that instilling intellectual vigor and curiosity goes hand-in-hand with teaching facts and figures. We provide training, professional development, and resources that support the practical needs, and the spirits, of educators worldwide who share the goal of creating a better, more informed, and more thoughtful society. With 10 offices around the globe, we reach more than two million students each year through our worldwide network of more than 29,000 trained educators.

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Facing History Partners with United Kingdom Theatre Group to Teach about Holocaust

EmilyBlackie — Wed, 29 May 2013 19:41:06 +0000

press_type:

In the News

May 25, 2013

Facing History and Ourselves has partnered with the educational theatre group Voices of the Holocaust, based in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The new group creates works that explore this difficult period in human history and that engage audiences in stories of hope, resistance, and the power of the human spirit.

Facing History will collaborate with Voices of the Holocaust to host a workshop in Milton Keyes for history and drama educators about combining history and drama to teach the Holocaust in the classroom.

“This is too important a subject, and with our survivors increasingly leaving us, we mustn’t allow their voices to be lost,” Voices founder Cate Hibbert told MKWeb. “Theatre is a live, immediate medium that can speak on their behalf.”

Read “Wolverton Drama Group Set Up by Former Stantonbury Campust Teacher to Tell Story of the Holocaust” by Annabel Howard on MKWeb.

Learn more about Facing History’s work in Milton Keyes and in the UK.

Holocaust Seminar for Law Enforcement in Poland to Use Facing History Framework

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:37:25 +0000

press_type:

Web Update

May 15, 2013

A seminar focusing on the Holocaust and issues of tolerance is bringing together Polish law enforcement agents at the Auschwitz Jewish Center for a three-day seminar. The Holocaust & Tolerance seminar will address the connections between the Holocaust, issues including stereotyping and conformity, and contemporary challenges in combating antisemitism, homophobia and other forms of hatred. After attending Facing History and Ourselves' week-long international seminar in London last October as well as a Facing History online workshop on antisemitism, Auschwitz Jewish Center Education and New Media Manager Maciek Zabierowski wanted to bring the Facing History scope and sequence of study to his colleagues in the Polish law enforcement. He plans to infuse Facing History materials and resources into this professional development opportunity.

“We are proud to be working together with leadership of Polish law enforcement to instill deeper understanding and sensitivity to violation of human rights as a response to the tragedy of Auschwitz and the Holocaust,” said Tomasz Kuncewicz, director of the Auschwitz Jewish Center.

Learn more about Facing History’s pedagogy and what we offer.

Learn more about our work across the globe.

The seminar is made possible by the generous support of the Dutch Jewish Humanitarian

Toronto Spoken Word Artist Reflects on Facing History’s “Stand Up, Speak Out” Project

EmilyBlackie — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:47:45 +0000

press_type:

In the News

May 15, 2013

Last month, Facing History and Ourselves culminated a four-week project called “Stand Up, Speak Out” with an evening of spoken word poetry held at the Royal Ontario Museum’s Signy & Cléophée Eaton Theatre in Toronto. The event featured student poets from fiveFacing History classrooms in Ontario, who performed original works alongside professional spoken word artists from the Toronto area. “Stand Up, Speak Out” was a program designed by Facing History that connected classrooms from Toronto and Hamilton and taught students literacy and performance skills through the study of history and spoken word poetry. Over the course of the project, the professional spoken word artists worked with Grade 11 classrooms as part of a unit of study that explored the history of genocide and issues of identity, tolerance, and community.

One of the participating artists recently reflected on the project on his website. “It was nice to see the students grow in the span of three workshops, but also to be able to connect with them and build relationships,” spoken word artist Henrick “Shoolie” Sales wrote on his site.

Read artist “Shoolie” Sales’ reflections on the project and find out more about “Stand Up, Speak Out” on the Facing History website and on the ONnetwork blog.

Learn more about Facing History’s work in Ontario.

Waterdown, Ontario: Educators Find Success with Facing History and Ourselves

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:19:11 +0000

press_type:

In the News

May 3, 2013

Facing History and Ourselves students in Canada are engaging their community through final projects that educate and share resources on issues ranging from bullying and intolerance to hope and equality. The projects are part of educator Rob Flosman’s 11th-grade “Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity” course at Waterdown District High School in Ontario.

“The students are required to be a part of something bigger than themselves, to better themselves and the community or their school, using the lessons of genocide,” Flosman told the Flamborough Review this week.

The course, developed in partnership with the Toronto District School Board and Facing History, is offered in 30 schools in Ontario and draws upon examples of genocide to help students make essential connections to their own lives and choices.

"Using the Facing History model of education, students are ‘forced to face their own prejudices and to live the history, to work with the history,'" the Review wrote. Flosman’s colleague, Waterdown District High School history teacher Nathan Tidridge, agreed. “To actually be in relationship with history, that’s the key, that’s where the real learning takes place,” he said.

Read “Waterdown History Course on Genocide Culminates in Projects of Hope” by Kathy Yanchus in the Flamborough Review.

Read “Making Breakthroughs: Using Spoken Word Poetry to Teach History” to learn more about Rob Flosman’s work in the classroom.

Stay up to date on Facing History’s work throughout Canada. Subscribe today to the ONnetwork Blog and check out this recent post by Rob Flosman.

“Torontoist” Features “Stand Up, Speak Out” Student Event

EmilyBlackie — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:40:49 +0000

press_type:

In the News

April 24, 2013

The Torontoist has featured Facing History and Ourselves’ “Stand Up, Speak Out” event, which takes place Wednesday, April 24, at the Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre in Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum.

The evening event will feature spoken word poetry that celebrates important lessons from history, the arts, dialogue, and the power of using voice to share perspective and build community. Over the course of spring 2013, professional spoken word artists conducted workshops in five Facing History classrooms at public high schools throughout Ontario, from Toronto to Hamilton.

“The young spoken word artists featured in this program are truly inspirational. Their words document the stories of a multifaceted Canadian identity, the struggles and hopes that pulse in our communities, and the lessons learned from difficult histories,” Facing History Toronto office Director Leora Schaefer said in a recent press release for the event. “From reflections on these histories, young artists from diverse communities in the greater Toronto and Hamilton areas respond with new visions for what our futures can hold.”

Find out more about the event in the Torontoist.

Read about the project and about how you can use poetry and performance to build literacy skills in the classroom.

Learn more about Facing History’s work in Toronto, Ontario.