Education
The Claims Conference supports education related initiatives which are grounded in historical rigor and advance understanding of the Holocaust.
Priority consideration will be given to programs that:
- Strengthen understanding of the history of antisemitism, the antecedents of the Holocaust, and the Shoah’s unprecedented nature
- Emphasize the Holocaust as a central event in Jewish history
- Integrate lessons of resilience drawn from the Shoah and its aftermath in pedagogically appropriate ways
- Link Holocaust history to the enduring centrality of Israel to the Jewish people, particularly for survivors from communities destroyed in the Shoah
- Use participant-centered learning strategies
- Equip participants with strategies to respond to Holocaust-related misinformation and hostility in classrooms and institutional settings
- Address Holocaust denial, distortion, trivialization, and Holocaust inversion (propagating false equivalence between the actions of the Nazis and Israel)
- Advance Holocaust education for diverse populations, including Muslim audiences
- Target locations with underdeveloped Holocaust education infrastructure
Education Programs
Education Programs are seminars or workshops (including virtual or hybrid formats) designed for students and select professional groups that clearly present a methodologically and pedagogically sound approach to Holocaust education.
Programs may target:
- Jewish and non-Jewish audiences
- Middle school and high school students
- University/College Students
- Young Adults
- Clergy
- Journalists
- Civil servants
- Influencers
- Other identified multipliers
Not Eligible for Funding
- Student trips to Israel or Holocaust-related sites requiring significant travel
- Stand-alone curricular development (unless there is an exceptional demonstrated need and audience)
Educator Training Programs
Educator Training Programs, which may include visits to Holocaust-related sites, must equip formal and informal educators with the historical knowledge, pedagogical tools, and contextual understanding necessary to teach the Holocaust accurately and responsibly in today’s educational environment. Participants should have the ability to strengthen institutional impact and extend the reach of Holocaust education. Programs must be more than one day in length (non-consecutive days permitted).
Programs may target:
- Jewish and non-Jewish audiences
- University faculty
- Influencers
- Administrators
- Museum professionals
- Government officials
Applications must include:
- Defined target group and eligibility criteria (examples include: at least five years from retirement, active educators teaching age-appropriate students, able to apply knowledge directly in the classroom)
- Detailed program itinerary
- Detailed description of pedagogy and methodological content
- Dedicated time for reflection and discussion
- Participant contribution toward program costs
Programs with visits to Holocaust-related sites must also include:
- Content-based educational preparatory sessions (minimum of 6 hours)
- Assigned readings
- Follow-up sessions after the trip
In addition to the standard application requirements, programs with visits to Holocaust-related sites must also include:
- Detailed itinerary with explanation of the educational significance of each visited site
- Classroom application plan
- Participant commitment to share learning post-trip
Generally, the Claims Conference will fund up to one-third of the total cost of programs involving significant travel to authentic Holocaust-related sites.
Not Eligible for Funding:
- Pre-service / student teachers
- Retired educators
- Community travel programs
Other Education Initiatives
Other Education Initiatives include education projects that do not fall into the categories above.
Support may be awarded to projects that:
- Contain defined educational goals and objectives
- Demonstrate strong pedagogy
- Clearly define target audiences
- Advance Holocaust knowledge in meaningful and measurable ways
