Call for Applications
Azrieli Teaching Fellowship for Excellence in Testimony-Based Pedagogy, 2025-2026
The Education Division of the USC Shoah Foundation invites applications for their Azrieli Teaching Fellowship for Excellence in Testimony-based Pedagogy for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Two educators serving Canadian schools, colleges, or universities will be chosen as fellows to conduct testimony-based research for one year in the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive (VHA) which holds over 55,000 video testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides. English or bilingual French/English educators are welcomed. The fellows will specifically and intentionally work with testimonies within the Azrieli Foundation Holocaust Survivors Memoirs Collection to develop localized innovative testimony-based resources to be integrated into a new or existing course/s. To prepare for this research, recipients will be hosted for a week-long knowledge transfer session at the USC Shoah Foundation headquarters in Los Angeles, California in March of 2026.
Fellowship Expectations
- Conduct independent research within the VHA pertinent to the proposed topic of focus.
- Develop testimony-based course resources aligned to their research.
- Hold one public lecture about their research and experience.
- Provide copies of their final course materials to the USC Shoah Foundation and Azrieli Foundation.
- Actively disseminate the course materials created before the conclusion of the fellowships.
Fellowship Award
- Comprehensive Research Access
Gain full remote access to the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive, featuring more than 55,000 testimonies, for the 12-month fellowship period.
- Expert Training and Mentoring
Participate in a fully-refunded, week-long residency in Los Angeles with USC Shoah Foundation experts, offering hands-on training, guidance, and support in course development.
- Ongoing Expert Support
Receive year-round access to specialists from USC Shoah Foundation, the Azrieli Foundation, and partner organizations.
- Innovative Teaching Practices
Learn to effectively integrate testimony into your teaching, explore best practices in the field, and experiment with new technologies and modalities.
- Educational Visibility
Share your work with teachers and students throughout Canada and globally. Final course or units of study will be published on IWitness, the Institute’s educational website.
- Professional Networking
Join a dynamic network of educators and researchers, gaining early access to new innovations, research, and collaborative opportunities.
- Stipend
Receive a $5000 US stipend upon successful completion of the fellowship requirements.
Eligibility requirements
Candidates must be current faculty or teachers serving Canadian schools, colleges, or universities. They may be from any academic discipline including but not limited to Holocaust education. Bilingual French/English educators are encouraged to apply.
These fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight PT on December 2, 2025. Applications will consist of the following as one combined PDF:
- Letter of intent (Upload) that provides a brief description (500-word max) of
- Your interest in the fellowship.
- Your interests in testimony-based education and research.
- The gap you are looking to fill in your course/s through this fellowship.
- Curriculum vitae/Resumé
- Reference letter (from professional network)
Please note: only applications that have submitted each of the required materials will be considered for these fellowships. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by January 12, 2026. Fellowship recipients will begin their informational engagement in February 2026.
Please direct questions regarding the fellowship or application process to Dr. Lesly Culp, Director of Education, at [email protected].