Welcome to the USC Shoah Foundation Institute’s
TEACHER INNOVATION NETWORK
As a Holocaust survivor I feel blessed to have survived and I also feel obligated to speak to educators. Teaching children is so important. Those of us who share our experience with educators hope that they, in turn, will use our testimony to follow through and do our work after the survivor community is gone. —Renée Firestone, Holocaust survivor
Benefits of Joining
- Watch and download video testimony
- Share ideas and lessons using video testimony
- Learn about upcoming training and professional development opportunities
- Connect online with other teachers who use testimony
- Arrange a visit to one of the institutions where the Institute’s archive is available
- Communicate with the Institute’s educational staff to share feedback and ask questions
- Sign up for opportunities to review and/or pilot new educational resources
- Receive the Institute’s e-newsletters and updates about new educational resources
Watch a video about the 2011 Master Teacher Workshop "Teaching With Testimony," held on the USC campus.
What is the Teacher Innovation Network?
Initiated in 2009, the Teacher Innovation Network is dedicated to advancing the use of visual history testimony across the curriculum to build 21st-century skills including media literacy, critical thinking, and global awareness.
The Network comprises middle and high school educators of subjects including English/language arts, history/social studies, Holocaust and genocide studies, psychology, sociology, religious studies, civics, and character education. The Network is also open to media and technology specialists.
The Network is designed to empower educators to inspire and engage their students in the examination of pressing contemporary issues of prejudice, racism, and personal responsibility through the use of the Institute's video testimony.
The benefits of free membership
As a member, you will have the opportunity to explore the Institute’s video testimonies through online multimedia resources and tools, and connect with other like-minded teachers. See the list of benefits in the left column for more reasons why you should join today.
Master Teachers
Some members of the Network may wish to apply to become USC SFI Master Teachers. Master teachers are committed to learning the Institute's methodology for integrating testimony into classroom projects, creating their own testimony-based lessons, and sharing these resources with their colleagues. To become a master teacher, you must apply to attend a Master Teacher Workshop, held each summer at USC.
