On her first-ever trip outside North America, Barbara Fowler will join 24 other teachers from around the world to help commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Poland by learning new methods for teaching the Holocaust.

Fowler and the other teachers were chosen to attend the Auschwitz: The Past is Present professional development program led by USC Shoah Foundation and Discovery Education to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The educators from 11 different countries representing four continents will attend a four-day workshop designed to deepen their understanding of the historical landscape of Poland before, during and after the Holocaust and increase their knowledge of authentic sites including Auschwitz-Birkenau

Fowler, a history and language arts teacher at Turning Point Academy in Emporia, Kansas, says that teaching the consequences of social injustice has always been a priority in her classroom. Last year, however, a switch from American history to modern world history offered her the opportunity to begin teaching more global content and the chance to integrate the Holocaust, human rights and genocide into her history and language arts curriculum. She said it is “essential” for students to have an understanding of the Holocaust in order to become informed and productive members of society.

“Students must understand how hate and intolerance led to near annihilation of an entire ethnic group,” Fowler said. “This visit will allow me to guide my students as they seek to understand the perspective of all those involved including victims, perpetrators, collaborators, bystanders, and rescuers.”

By learning about the role of the above categories, Fowler said students gain an understanding of topics such as the abuse of power, importance of culture and the consequences of remaining silent.

She believes that having real-life experience in Poland and witnessing the commemoration at Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum on Jan. 27 will make her a more effective presenter on these topics when she returns home.

“Simply stated, my visit to Poland and the Auschwitz commemoration will make the Holocaust real: real to me, to my students, and to all my audiences,” Fowler said. It’s especially important that the events feel real because of the threat of “revisionist history” and students not understanding the ramifications of current events.

Survivor testimony also gives students a real-life connection to the Holocaust, Fowler said. It makes it personal – not just a chapter in a textbook.

“When working with testimony students go beyond photos of mass murder and devastation and begin to realize that each survivor has an important story,” Fowler said. “History is no longer a section in a textbook, but instead, is numerous stories coming together to compose a section of history.”