Educator In-Service Professional Development Sessions

Facilitate your staff’s growth with a professional development session on the Holocaust, genocide, or social justice. The Museum offers a series of opportunities for elementary, middle, high school, pre-service teachers, and administrators. These sessions are available onsite at Illinois Holocaust Museum, online via zoom, or at your school. Please contact for details- all current options are listed below.

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is an approved provider of Illinois State Board of Education. The Museum can issue Illinois Clock Hours/CPDUs for each session.

Current In-Service Session Options

Genocide
Holocaust
Human Rights

Courageous Conversations: Confronting Antisemitism

Join Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center for an interactive workshop designed specifically for educators and school administrators from all backgrounds and levels of knowledge on the topic. More>>

Ghetto Uprisings: Inspiring Resistance

How did young people to fight back against such overwhelming odds during the Holocaust? Participants in this workshop will examine ghetto uprisings, including Warsaw, Kovno, and Bialystock, and learn strategies to bring the stories of resistors to their classrooms. More>>

LGBTQ+ in Nazi Germany

In this workshop, educators learn more about the history of the LGBTQ community in Nazi Germany and explore the role of the German public in denouncing individuals, LGBTQ experiences in the camps, and the struggle for freedom and equality after liberation. More>>

Diaries and Memoirs: Using Primary Sources to Teach about the Holocaust

This session will provide an overview of how to use primary source records in your classroom and provide strategies and approaches to incorporate into your curriculum. Teachers will also receive an introduction to Museum-curated resources for both educators and students. More>>

Youth Resistance in Nazi Germany

This workshop provides historical background on the resistance of young people in Nazi Germany, examine primary source documents to use in classrooms, and features the Museum’s Take a Stand Center resources to empower students to resist hatred, prejudice, and indifference today. More>>

Operation T4: the Nazi “Euthanasia” program

Through the analysis of primary source documents and Survivor testimony, educators will learn about the history and progression of Operation T4, the “euthanasia” program that systematically targeted physical and intellectual disabilities, as well as the consequences and implications of public opposition to the program. More>>

Women & Genocide

Join Illinois Holocaust Museum to delve deeply into the experiences of women during multiple genocides, including the Holocaust, Bosnia, and Rwanda. To restore agency to women, educators will explore the multiple roles women played during genocide. More>>

Origins Of The “Final Solution”

What changed the attitude of the Nazis in regards to the Eastern European Jews between 1941 and 1942? Join us as we explore the origins of the Final Solution and the role of the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing squads) in eastern Poland and the former Soviet Union. More>>

Introduction to Teaching About Genocide

In this workshop, educators will take a deeper look into their rationale for teaching genocide. Participants will examine the guidelines of teaching genocide, including how to define the term, and discuss the challenges of its legal definition. More>>

How much does each session cost?

Session costs vary depending on length and type of training. Please inquire by reaching out to: jessica.hulten@ilhmec.org

How long does each session last?

Sessions last between 1 to 4 hours long. Please inquire by reaching out to: jessica.hulten@ilhmec.org

What is the minimum number of attendees?

On-site at Museum: minimum of 10 participants

Virtual over Zoom: minimum of 10 participants

On-site at school campus: minimum of 25 participants

Common Core State Standards Statement

Our Goal

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center provides high-quality professional development opportunities with state and national standards in mind while supporting educators in using best practices and Danielson Framework.

Our professional development workshops address Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Literacy and History/Social Studies. We also align with/support the C3 Framework and Illinois State Standards and Mandates including: Social Sciences, Social and Emotional Learning, the Holocaust and Genocide Education Mandate, the High School Civics Education Mandate, Civics in the Middle, and the Teaching LGBTQIA History Mandate.

These sessions offer a diverse collection of instructional materials and training for teachers and include classroom-tested strategies. They also share many of the same goals as CCSS, including the ability for students to comprehend a range of challenging texts, engage in collaborative discussion, analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse formats and media, and more.

Why Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center

Illinois Holocaust Museum is a proven leader and provider of teacher professional development trainings. Our world-class education team has successfully developed and facilitated hundreds of trainings, reaching thousands of educators across the country. As one of the nation’s premiere Holocaust and genocide education institutions, we are also honored to be recognized as a Jewish Foundation for the Righteous Center of Excellent, a National Training Site for Echoes and Reflections, and an approved provider of High-Quality Professional Development through Chicago Public Schools.