When teaching topics as enormous and weighty as the Holocaust and genocide, it can be easy to cover the facts and figures without getting to the heart of the matter – the humans affected by the history. The power of testimony is that it exposes students to the ordinary people whose lives were disrupted by world-changing events such as the Holocaust, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the Guatemalan Genocide against indigenous people in the 1980s, and the World War I-era Armenian Genocide, among others.
USC Shoah Foundation offers an array of educational products for students ranging in age from kindergarten to college.
Living Links
New Innovative Program For Third-Generation Holocaust Survivor Families
Living Links, the first national organization that engages and empowers 3G (third generation) descendants of Holocaust survivors, is partnering with the USC Shoah Foundation. A new generation will tell their family stories for future generations.
Every Piece of Music Tells a Story
This activity accompanies the reading of The Children of Willesden Lane, offering a deeper understanding of the history surrounding 14-year old Lisa Jura, who emigrated to London via the Kindertransport.
grades 2 Hours
time Mini Quest
activity
Contemporary Antisemitism
What is antisemitism and how is it different from contemporary antisemitism? How do historical events shape contemporary societies?
grades 1.5 Hours
time Mini Quest
activity
Courage (3-5) - Ruth: A Little Girl's Big Journey
In this activity, students grades 3-5 will think about a time they took a long journey and the challenges they faced and how they overcame those challenges.
grades 0.5 Hours
time Lesson
activity
IWitness activities that educate and inspire.
Search the library of ready-made activities or customize your own. Students use embedded tools to build videos, word clouds and other testimony-based projects.
The Willesden Project
Inspired by the power of story to transform lives, this groundbreaking initiative available in IWitness combines testimony, technology and music to reshape Holocaust education.
History on Location
Developed by USC Shoah Foundation and made possible by the generous support of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, the IWalk app unlocks a new window into our past. Visitors and students at authentic sites of history and memorials can discover curated IWalks – tours that connect specific locations of memory and memorialization with testimonies from survivors and witnesses of genocide, violence and mass atrocity.
Ruth: A Little Girl's Big Journey
Short Animated Educational Film Featuring Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer
USC Shoah Foundation and Delirio Films have completed an animated short film that brings to life the remarkable childhood journey of Holocaust survivor Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer escaping Nazi Germany, as she faced the choices that made her who she is today.
Echoes & Reflections
Programs & Resources for Educators
Since 2005, this unparalleled partnership program of three world leaders in education—ADL, the USC Shoah Foundation and Yad Vashem—has impacted millions of students across the United States—and at no cost. Through our Holocaust education professional development programs and resources, educators gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to teach this topic effectively.
USC Shoah Foundation and Discovery Education Join Forces
New video challenge inspires students and educators to fight against discrimination, injustice and hate by using the power of testimony to create a brighter future
Partnership will expand the reach of Institute’s educational materials on Armenian Genocide
USC Shoah Foundation is joining forces with The Genocide Education Project, which is dedicated to bringing curriculum about the World War I-era Armenian Genocide into high schools across the United States
Read more about our work in education
