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 July 27, 28, 29, and 30. 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. This year, we are partnering with our friends at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of Michigan and the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine to bring their expertise to our educator workshops!

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

Attend three full days and receive a free Educator Membership to The HC
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

Register for all four days or individual sessions. All sessions are completely free to Michigan educators.

Monday, July 27

Understanding the Holocaust

The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and mass murder of over 6 million Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators between 1933 and 1945. The Holocaust was a genocide, which is a form of identity-based violence. Jews were targeted because the Nazis expressed an extremely violent form of antisemitism. Using artifacts and survivor testimonies, educators will learn the essentials of Holocaust history and best practices in Holocaust pedagogy, applicable to various disciplines and course designs, focusing in particular on personal stories of survival and resistance.

Antisemitism Throughout History With the Raoul Wallenberg Institute

Kristallnacht: A Michigan Perspective

This session examines Kristallnacht as a pivotal moment in the persecution of Jews in Germany and Austria, marking a shift from systematic discrimination to widespread, state-sanctioned violence. Participants will explore the immediate and long-term consequences of the November Pogrom, including the destruction of Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues, mass arrests, and the acceleration of forced emigration. Centering the voices of Michigan Holocaust survivors who experienced Kristallnacht firsthand, the program highlights the human impact of this turning point.

Guided Exhibit Tour with Museum Educators

Tuesday, July 28

Hitler Youth: Indoctrination During the Holocaust

During the Holocaust, the Nazis used education to indoctrinate the population, while others relied on education as a tool of resistance. In this session, participants will learn how the Nazis co-opted and synchronized the education system in order to achieve their ideological goals, and how individual educators and students responded to Nazification. As antisemitic policies escalated, explore how Jews continued to provide education within the ghettos and camps as a way to maintain community and resist dehumanization. Teachers will leave with the skills, knowledge, and resources to understand the German education system and teach their students the importance of responsible education.

Children and the Holocaust

Over 1.5 million Jewish children were murdered during the Holocaust, and many others had their daily lives completely disrupted by antisemitism and genocide. This session explores the experiences of these children through survivor stories of escaping Europe, surviving the camps, and living in hiding. Educators 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. Educators will thoughtfully discuss how to teach about children’s stories to help students connect with this history.

Pure Michigan: The History of Hate in the Great Lakes Region With the Raoul Wallenberg Institute

Pure Michigan: The History of Hate in the Great Lakes Region - Dr. Jeffrey Veidlinger and Dr. Miriam Mora, Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of Michigan

Pure Michigan: The History of Hate in the Great Lakes Region explores several leading individuals, publications, movements, and organizations that contributed to the spread of hateful ethnic, religious, or racial ideology in the Midwest and beyond in the twentieth century. Join us for a keynote presentation from faculty at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of Michigan to learn more about their work and its connection to classroom learning.

Wednesday, July 29

World War II and the Holocaust

World War II shaped the Holocaust during its most lethal years. This session focuses on how the war impacted the pace, intensity, and reach of the Holocaust by following the frontlines of the war in Europe. Drawing from primary sources and artifacts, educators will explore the stories of Holocaust survivors and military veterans of WWII to show the Allied military response to Nazi oppression and its enduring legacies.

Women and the Holocaust

Women experienced the Holocaust differently and were targeted specifically based on their gender. Centering the experiences of women provides a more complete and accurate understanding of the Holocaust and its impact. This session explores women’s experiences under Nazi control, focusing on Jewish victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Educators will also learn stories of women who risked their lives to resist hatred and help others. Educators will gain knowledge and teaching resources for representing women’s experiences throughout their Holocaust lessons.

Ordinary Men and Women: Perpetration During the Holocaust

Ordinary men and women committed the crimes of the Holocaust. This session explores the dynamics of perpetration during the Holocaust by analyzing the various personal and situational factors that gave rise to 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. Participants will better understand how the Holocaust happened on the interpersonal level and gain an appreciation for the importance of personal choice.

Medical Ethics and the Holocaust with the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Teaching with Artifacts: Bringing the Museum into the Classroom

Thursday, July 30

Resistance: Jewish Responses to the Holocaust

This session explores the diverse forms of resistance to the Holocaust. Educators will examine case studies highlighting various ways Jewish individuals and groups resisted Nazi persecution, from armed uprisings to cultural preservation, smuggling, and underground education. The session will also foster discussion about the importance of including stories of resistance in Holocaust education, emphasizing how these narratives inspire hope and resilience, and help students appreciate the complexity of human responses in times of extreme adversity.

Preventing Genocide: Lessons from the Holocaust

How does genocide happen? And how can learning about genocide help us learn to build peace instead? In this session, educators will explore the definition of genocide and best pedagogical practices for teaching about the Holocaust and genocide in the classroom. Using graphic models designed to illustrate the processes of genocide and peacebuilding, educators will learn how to teach about the significance of contextual factors, individual attitudes and choices, and collective actions. The session culminates in a discussion of the practical and concrete ways that students can act as upstanders in the world today.

Voices of the Holocaust: Using Holocaust Memoirs

Memoirs are powerful teaching tools that bring survivor voices directly into your classroom. This session explores a variety of memoirs from Holocaust survivors with diverse experiences and perspectives. Educators will understand best practices and pedagogy for utilizing memoirs to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, centering survivor voices. Participants will learn how to introduce memoirs with historical context, select meaningful memoirs using a rubric, and incorporate memoirs as primary sources within the classroom.

Legacies of Michigan Survivors: Life After the Holocaust

Over 4,000 survivors rebuilt their lives in the Detroit area after the Holocaust. How did they navigate postwar challenges, and what can their experiences teach us about resilience and renewal? With a focus on Michigan, educators will examine local survivor experiences to understand the difficulties they faced in rebuilding their lives, focusing on education, work, language, and cultural challenges. Educators will also explore the resilience of individuals and families who established new homes, pursued opportunity, and contributed to life in Detroit and surrounding communities, offering a lens for teaching postwar life as an essential part of Holocaust history.

Next Generation Perspectives: One Family's Story of Survival

Educators will have the meaningful opportunity to hear from a descendant of a Holocaust survivor about their family’s experiences during and after the Holocaust. These personal stories humanize the history of the Holocaust and help to memorialize individual victims and survivors. Each story of survival and life after the Holocaust is unique and provides a valuable perspective on these events and their aftermath. Educators will see how the memory of the Holocaust continues to impact the world today. The keynote presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer discussion session.

For more information about professional development opportunities for Michigan educators at The Zekelman Holocaust Center, contact Willow Hokett, Outreach Associate, at 248.571.0495 or willow.hokett@holocaustcenter.org.

Summer Academy

Summer Academy

A Unique Experience for Holocaust Educators

Monday, July 27

Tuesday, July 28

Wednesday, July 29

Thursday, July 30

The Zekelman Holocaust Center

Hours