Feedback from Participants

We were delighted to be back in person at the Michael Klahr Center for both summer seminars. Both seminars included presentations with slide shows, interactive activities, guest speakers, and time for both laughter and serious discussion. Teaching the Holocaust featured Authors Anna Slatzman Eisen and Susan Ross and a screening of “Voices in the Void” by Humanity in Action. Presenters during Addressing Hate & Bias at School were Halley Phillips of the Restorative Justice Institute and Gabe O’Brien of LeveledUp Learning. Panelist were: Saige Purser, Co-Senior Director Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness; Katie Lutts, Program Director at OUT Maine; Jake Kulaw, Director Civil Rights Team Project for the Office of the Attorney General; Gabe O’Brien, Community Impact Manager at Maine Youth Action Network; and Halley Phillips, Co-Director for Training & Consulting at the Restorative Justice Institute. All of the guests were shining stars of wisdom and optimism. 

Teaching the Holocaust

I thought the seminar was a wealth of great information. It allowed me to have a greater understanding of the Holocaust.

This seminar will be incredibly valuable to me as I am creating and offering a new course in the social studies entitled Genocide Studies. The staff of the HHRC possess content expertise, along with an understanding of best practices for teaching this subject matter. Sharing this knowledge and wisdom with Maine educators will result in more young Mainers learning about the Holocaust in an appropriate way, and hopefully becoming more empathetic citizens of our communities.

While it is important to unplug after demanding school years, it is also important to remember that we are scholars interested in learning more about history. All too often, teachers are seen as practitioners who are best relegated to the ever-changing carousel of instructional and assessment practices. A seminar such as Teaching the Holocaust reminds us that we are engaged students of history who are motivated to learn more. This is quite restorative.

I think all of the information is/was immensely valuable. I think the offering of current resources, literature, and depth of questions will serve to deepen materials presented in the classroom.

I cannot begin to express the value of the workshops to educators. … The fact that many donors have made this seminar free really helps as money is very limited in my school department for anything other than graduate coursework, and the fact that it is available in the summer eliminates the worry of having to ask for time off from school (with the potential of being denied) and getting a substitute, and it gives me an opportunity to digest the learning and thoughtfully develop lessons using the information before the school year begins.

Fabulous. Great material and lots of passion.

I knew that the organization existed, but I was completely unaware of the talented staff and depth of research it presented. Having been to the National Holocaust Museum, I say, without hesitation, the HHRC is every bit as valuable.

I found the workshop invaluable. To even begin to wrap my head around teaching—truly teaching—what Holocaust was and the topic and history of anti-Semitism seemed impossible. I now have the tools that will enable me to begin teaching this with confidence and a clear direction. The vast amount of information and the expertise of the staff was truly mind-blowing. … The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and skilled at teaching and transferring the information I need for my classroom. It was one of the best workshops I have ever attended in my teaching career.

This is an incredibly important topic with a high degree of interest for students. It’s also vitally necessary in our current political climate in which antisemitism is on the rise (in addition to other forms of backlash against marginalized groups). I am excited to incorporate many of the resources provided in this workshop to reshape my focus on the Jewish people, provide background for them, and humanize the victims of the Holocaust in a more individual and personal way.

This workshop was truly invaluable to me. … I feel it's so important to get in-depth with historical topics like these so students can truly understand it as best they can. I don't want them years down the line to have the feeling of "I should have learned this in school," which is what I had when it comes to topics like this. I learned so much through this workshop and I will be taking a lot of information back with me.

School budgets are so tight right now; districts are not offering to front payment for workshops or seminars that only include a small group of educators. I hope donors understand how much they are supporting teachers in allowing us to be educated on critical historical matters. Teaching about the Holocaust is so much more than teaching a single topic. .… Being able to take part in quality events like this one gives me a renewed feeling of the importance of being an educator and the job we are doing today.

Addressing Hate & Bias at School

This brought so many educators and state workers from different communities to offer their knowledge and work together to learn and collaborate with speaker and presenters. Thank you! 

I think the lessons are valuable and important. It takes time to change perceptions and accept others.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to colloborate with other professionals throughout the state and to share our common vision and goals.

As a facilitator who engages in this work daily, I felt my two day experience was truly a blessing. This work can be a challenge. It can be emotionally and mentally exhausting. Being here as a participant enabled my cup to be filled. Thank you so much.

This was an amazing chance to connect, share resources, solutions, brain storm, and get informed feedback from people "in the know”`

This was one of the best seminars I've been to in recent memory and there was almost TOO much information for us to take back to our school. I'm excited to incorporate some of these strategies into my classroom, our advisory period and also the CRTP team that I advise. 

Wow. This was very helpful in giving me the tools/words I need to get this message across to staff, students and community.

Just what I needed! Several folks described leaving teaching, or switching jobs because of the current climate. This made me feel like I might make it through another year...after 30 years. 

So thankful for the food, art, discussion, and professionalism. It was absolutely valuable and as a Jew, my ancestors would be thrilled to know this work is being done by the HHRC.

This is essential training for all educators - and anyone working with students. I got lots of good new information and many reminders of techniques and talking points to use when I'm working with students. I loved hearing the wide variety of perspectives from around Maine and getting to leave with new contacts to help students. Thank you.

Oh my gosh, this is so valuable. Students have come through the pandemic, I hate to say but more empowered to stay entrenched in their biased way of thinking. This gives me fresh material to start the year and flip that script and remind students that schools are diverse communities where we are SO HAPPY to be back in that community but need to be mindful that all people need to feel safe and ready to grow there.

I’m not sure how to answer this- for me it wasn’t a ton of new information, but I find great value in learning about other peoples experiences in and out of the classroom and engaging in this work in general. 

This seminar should become a mandatory part of any teacher's education program. The same way we need to understand the needs of diverse learners, we should all understand the impact of embedded injustices on our students. We tend to think that we do all we can to educate future 'kind, productive members' of society, but are we? How can youth want to get involved in a system that perpetuates past and present wrongs? How are they going to become the next generation of leaders if they don't see the adults in their life "walking the talk"?

This training seminar was SO valuable. Having the opportunity to be in community with educators who strongly believe in the importance of doing this work was inspiring and invigorating. I left feeling like I had a healthy mix of concrete tools, as well as really great perspective on unpacking my own experiences to be able to do this work. The facilitators were enthusiastic and extremely competent. It will definitely shape my work in schools moving forward. I hope it is offered many times because I know that there are colleagues of mine that would LOVE to participate. 

I really appreciate that the seminar was free (on behalf of the others who were there), and that I was able to attend as an interested and concerned community member. 

This seminar is especially important right now. Educators are facing a lot of pushback and this seminar was super helpful in addressing why it's important to include anti bias training in our schools. The students are watching us!