Rhode Island Holocaust-Genocide Education Committee to Host Resource Expo on April 8

WARWICK, R.I.—April is Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Month, and commemorative events are held throughout the month to remember and reflect on these horrific crimes against humanity.

Rhode Island Holocaust-Genocide Education Committee is sponsoring an educational resource exposition to be held on April 8, at the Warwick Mall Center Court from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As part of the month’s events, the Rhode Island Holocaust-Genocide Education Committee is sponsoring an educational resource exposition to be held on April 8, at the Warwick Mall Center Court from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The purpose of the exposition is to provide information and curriculum resources currently available to enhance teacher instruction on the subject matter.

The exposition will include a number of exhibitors, including organizations, which have created resources on the topic. Rhode Island educators who have been successfully offering instruction on Holocaust and Genocide will also be exhibiting, along with some of their students. They will provide best practices and testimony to course benefits, as well as their experiences. Teachers who attend the exposition will return to the classroom with materials ready to use, as well as ideas to engage their students

Beginning this school year, all Rhode Island public middle and high schools are required to provide instruction on the Holocaust and on genocide. It is expected that students will learn the root causes and how to discuss the ramifications of these atrocities in hopes of preventing them from ever happening again.

The list of exhibitors scheduled to attend include: The Genocide Education Project; Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center; Echoes and Reflection; The Choices Program at Brown University; and the USC Shoah Foundation. Material will also be available from the Anti Defimation League (ADL) and The Near East Relief Foundation. Educators Steve Flynn and Claudia Traub will be on hand, along with some of their students, to discuss their lessons and experiences teaching the genocide.

The Holocaust and Genocide Educational Resource Expo is open to teachers, students, and the general public. The Warwick Mall is located at 500 Bald Hill Road Warwick, R.I. 02886.

The Rhode Island Holocaust-Genocide Education Committee is working with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and other educational institutions in the state to develop strong curriculum materials to assist educators in instruction of the Holocaust and genocide. It has provided the department with material which is currently being developed on the RIDE website and will be available soon. The committee encourages educators to utilize the information on the website.

In addition, the committee has created professional development training and supplements to help educators better understand and teach the subjects of holocaust and genocide. It also has partnered with several local authorities on this topic, such as The Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center and The Genocide Education Project, R.I. branch.

For further information regarding the exposition, please contact Barbara Wahlberg at bwahlberg2@gmail.com, or Pauline Getzoyan at getzop@gmail.com.