CC-1053 - Summer Institute for Educators
Course Description
The Cohen Center’s biennial Summer Institute is an intensive residential program that brings educators together from across the United States and Europe. The 2025 Summer Institute will feature experts from Yahad - In Unum, the organization founded by Father Patrick Desbois, author of Holocaust By Bullets. Educators who attend this 2.5-day institute will learn about Yahad - In Unum’s investigative work pertaining to the fate of Jewish communities and other targeted groups in the former Soviet Union. Sessions will: focus on eyewitness testimonies and how these can be used to enhance students’ critical thinking skills, introduce educational tools and pedagogy (including a ready-made case study) for use in the classroom, and teach about connections to present mass crimes. The final half-day of the Institute will highlight resources and programs available through the Cohen Center to support teachers.
Educators who participate in the Institute will earn 20 hours of Continuing Education credit and receive teaching resources, including flash drives with two study guides, video excerpts from eyewitness testimonies, books, and other resources. Breakfasts, lunches, and coffee breaks are provided throughout the Institute. This is a residential program that includes three nights of housing on campus. The final day of the workshop will be a half day. A full schedule for the Summer Institute will be provided to attendees prior to their arrival on campus.
Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. The last day to register for this workshop is June 30, 2025 (unless registration reaches maximum capacity sooner). The deadline to register if you wish to stay on campus is Wednesday, May 28.
Learner Outcomes
- Learn about the fate of the Jewish communities and other targeted groups in the former Soviet Union while wrestling with the challenges of categorizing behavior.
- Discover Yahad - In Unum's investigative work and forensic methodology.
- Investigate excerpts from eyewitness testimonies and how these can be used to enhance students' critical thinking skills.
- Get an overview of educational tools and pedagogy (including a case study) which can be used in your classroom.
- Learn about contemporary mass crimes investigated by Yahad - In Unum: mass killings of the Mayan population in Guatemala, Yazidi genocide in Iraq, and war crimes in Ukraine.
- Discuss means of connecting the past with the present and of making the study of the Holocaust relevant to students’ lives.
- Learn about programs and resources available through the Cohen Center to support teachers.
