Summer Academy

Enhance your Holocaust curriculum at our annual Summer Academy training seminar. Gain access to invaluable resources, connect with experts, and learn how to bring history to life for your students.

A Unique Experience for Holocaust Educators

We invite all Michigan educators to join us at The Zekelman Holocaust Center for Summer Academy on August 6, 7, and 8. Whether you are new to teaching the Holocaust or an experienced Holocaust educator, The HC's Summer Academy has specialized professional development sessions with resources for your classroom. Choose from 21 different sessions and earn SCECH hours throughout the week.

This year, each day’s sessions will focus on one theme in Holocaust education: the Human Story, Ideology, and Resistance. Register for all three days or individual sessions. All sessions are completely free to Michigan educators.

At Summer Academy, you will gain a deeper understanding of Holocaust history and pedagogical practices, plus you will receive:

Free, classroom-ready teaching materials for multiple disciplines
Free SCECH hours for each session completed
Opportunities to collaborate with other educators around the state
Daily lunch provided by The HC
Priority booking for student field trips
Access to our bus subsidy program for your visit with students next school year

The HC's Summer Academy is offered in person at The Zekelman Holocaust Center in a conference-style format, with two morning and two afternoon session options available each day. We encourage you to customize your experience by selecting the topics most applicable to your classroom and approach to education.

Tuesday, August 6 — The Human Story

9:00 AM-11:00 AM: The Diversity of Holocaust Experiences (Session A)

9:00 AM-11:00 AM: Children and the Holocaust (Session B)

Over 1.5 million Jewish children were murdered during the Holocaust, and many others had their completely disrupted by hate and genocide. This session explores the experiences of these children through survivor stories of escaping Europe, surviving the camps, and living in hiding.

We will examine how children contributed to resistance efforts and demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity, and also consider the long-term consequences child survivors faced after the war.

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Pre-War Jewish Life Across Europe (Session A)

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Jewish Life in Germany (Session B)

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Rebuilding Lives in Michigan (Session A)

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Exhibit Connections: Exploring The Human Story (Session B)

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Engaging Students in Holocaust Inquiry

Wednesday, August 7 — Ideology

9:00 AM-11:00 AM: Foundations of Nazi Ideology (Session A)

9:00 AM-11:00 AM: Ordinary Men and Women: Perpetration During the Holocaust (Session B)

Ordinary men and women committed the crimes of the Holocaust. But how did they become killers? This session explores the dynamics of perpetration during the Holocaust by analyzing the various personal and situational factors that shaped the commission of antisemitic discrimination and genocidal violence. Participants will learn about real men and women who were influenced by Nazi ideology and chose to harm others, exploring the consequences of these choices for Jewish lives. By learning more about perpetration, participants will better understand how the Holocaust happened on the interpersonal level and gain an appreciation for the importance of choice.

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Navigating the Propaganda of Everyday Life (Session A)

During the Holocaust, the Nazis manipulated German media and material culture in order to disseminate propaganda. Relying on offensive Jewish stereotypes, as well as the romantic notion of a racially perfect Germany, the Nazis indoctrinated Europeans into their specific brand of fascism. In this session, participants will analyze Nazi propaganda and how it was used during the Holocaust.

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: American Responses to Nazism(Session B)

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Education During the Holocaust (Session A)

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Exhibit Connections: Exploring Ideology (Session B)

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Exploring & Explaining with Primary Sources

Thursday, August 8 — Resistance

9:00 AM-11:00 AM: Understanding Forms of Resistance (Session A)

9:00 AM-11:00 AM: Forms of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto (Session B)

The largest ghetto in the Nazi system was in Warsaw, Poland. The Jewish people imprisoned within the ghetto participated in both physical and spiritual resistance throughout the years it was operational, as well as collaborating with non-Jewish Polish resistance cells. In this session, participants will analyze different examples of resistance within the Warsaw ghetto system, while considering why the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the most successful Jewish armed revolt during the Holocaust.

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Resisting Antisemitism Today (Session A)

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Women's Resistance During the Holocaust (Session B)

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Stories of Non-Jewish Resistance (Session A)

Despite widespread collaboration and bystandership, some people chose to risk their lives to stand against Nazi persecution and help Jews. This session will explore the many forms of non-Jewish resistance and the moral courage that inspired them to act. These stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things will show how actions both large and small had a profound impact, and will inspire us to think about our role in making our world a better place today.

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Exhibit Connections: Exploring Resistance (Session B)

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Now What? Moving from Education to Action

For more information about professional development opportunities for Michigan educators at The Zekelman Holocaust Center, contact Rick Schaffner, Manager of Outreach & Teacher Education, at 248.556.3663 or rick.schaffner@holocaustcenter.org.

Summer Academy

Summer Academy

A Unique Experience for Holocaust Educators

Tuesday, August 6 — The Human Story

Wednesday, August 7 — Ideology

Thursday, August 8 — Resistance

The Zekelman Holocaust Center

Hours