At a time when students are encountering discussions of genocide not only in history books but as it unfolds in real time across social media and global news, a program offered through Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters is helping secondary education teachers across Michigan respond to the growing challenge of teaching about this fraught topic in a rapidly shifting global context, providing the time, resources, and community to rethink their approach.

Now accepting applications for its third cohort, MSU’s Holocaust and Genocide Curriculum Fellowship is open to Michigan English and Social Studies educators teaching grades 8-12. Through this program, teachers broaden their understanding of genocide across diverse historical and cultural contexts while researching and designing new curriculum to better engage Michigan students.

Led by Mary Juzwik, Professor of English Education with a joint appointment in the departments of Teacher Education and English; Laura Yares, Associate Professor of Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies; and Deborah Margolis, MSU Librarian for Jewish Studies, Muslim Studies, Middle East Studies, and Religious Studies; the program stands apart from traditional teacher training on genocide by integrating diverse disciplinary approaches to the topic, especially humanities, art, and religious studies.  

The program emphasizes common themes across genocides, such as dehumanization, group identity, testimony, and memory, while highlighting resilience, culture, and human flourishing.

“Genocide, unfortunately, is an experience that crosses multiple cultural and historical contexts. One of the things we are trying to do in teaching across these multiple contexts is to give teachers touch points across multiple experiences of genocide.”

Laura Yares, Associate Professor of Judaism

“Genocide, unfortunately, is an experience that crosses multiple cultural and historical contexts,” Yares said. “One of the things we are trying to do in teaching across these multiple contexts is to give teachers touch points across multiple experiences of genocide.”

Central to that approach is the program’s grounding in the arts and humanities and its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. The fellowship brings together faculty and other experts from across Michigan State University, exposing teachers to a wide range of perspectives and methods for engaging with genocide.

“We don’t just focus on those who were persecuted as victims,” Margolis said. “We look at them as people with culture, with art, with a future.”

A Yearlong, Collaborative Learning Model

That commitment to expanding how genocide is taught shapes every aspect of the fellowship experience. The yearlong program begins with an intensive four-day workshop in August, where teachers engage foundational questions about what constitutes genocide while exploring case studies from global contexts. Faculty from across Michigan State University lead sessions that model interdisciplinary approaches to the topic.

Participants then reconvene monthly throughout the academic year, creating an ongoing space for collaboration, reflection, and experimentation. Teachers also develop their own inquiry projects — original curriculum innovations designed for their specific classrooms — while working in dialogue with faculty and fellow educators.

Built on a collaborative, teacher-centered model, the fellowship prioritizes dialogue over top-down instruction. Teachers work alongside MSU faculty and one another, sharing ideas and developing inquiry-based projects tailored to their classrooms. Several participants from the first cohort have since returned as facilitators, helping guide subsequent cohorts.

“More than just giving them resources, we’re creating a space for dialogue where teachers can percolate ideas. It’s a ‘teachers teaching teachers’ model,”

Mary Juzwik, Professor of English Education

“More than just giving them resources, we’re creating a space for dialogue where teachers can percolate ideas. It’s a ‘teachers teaching teachers’ model,” Juzwik said. “One of the things the teachers most appreciate about the experience as a whole is the opportunity to learn from and with each other and to have that space to pause and to reflect and to think about how they might do things differently in their curriculum.”

Supporting Teachers and Their Students

Participants receive substantial support to ensure the fellowship is both accessible and impactful. The program covers substitute teacher costs for monthly sessions, provides lodging for the summer workshop, and offers teachers a generous stipend. Teachers also can apply for additional curriculum development funding to purchase classroom materials — from books and digital resources to art supplies.

Margolis works closely with participants as they research and develop their inquiry projects, helping them identify important primary source materials, relevant academic literature, and other teachable materials.

“They’re diving into what’s already been done and thinking about how they can contribute something new,” she said.

The impact extends well beyond individual classrooms. As part of the fellowship, participants share what they’ve developed by leading sessions with colleagues in their districts and at conferences, expanding the program’s reach across the state.

Past participants describe the fellowship as an energizing and deeply supportive experience that strengthened both their confidence and their teaching practice. One educator shared, “I truly loved participating in this fellowship. I often found myself seeking out the experts after our sessions to ask my own questions and get more info, and I was really blown away by the in-person August workshop.” Another emphasized how valued they felt throughout the year, noting that “each meeting workshop directors valued us and what we do, acknowledged how hard our jobs are, then gave us new tools to try. This year has reminded me how valuable a learning community is to my success.” 

The fellowship is supported by John Cillag and Eva Gero Cillag, who are passionate about Holocaust education and about education for democratic citizenship. John Cillag graduated from MSU in 1962 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Building a Statewide Community

Now in its third year, the fellowship continues to grow. Applications have more than tripled since its first cohort, and participating districts span the state — from Detroit to Grand Rapids to rural communities.

“With just 10 teachers in our first cohort, we’ve already seen hundreds of other educators impacted,” Juzwik said. “When you invest in one teacher, you’re impacting generations of students.”

“At its core, this work is about humanizing. It’s about bringing human stories to the forefront so students can learn, reflect, and engage with the world in more thoughtful ways.”

Mary Juzwik, Professor of English Education

The program also includes MSU English and Social Studies teacher candidates in its August workshop, creating opportunities for mutual mentoring between experienced educators and those just entering the profession.

“We’re not just bringing teachers here to listen to us share information and teaching tips,” Yares said. “We are seeking to foster a community where teachers feel respected, supported, and better equipped to teach challenging material with care and clarity because of what they learn from us, and from each other.” 

That sense of community is central to the program’s mission. Through ongoing reflection, collaboration, and shared inquiry, the fellowship not only helps teachers improve their practice — it reaffirms the value of the humanities in understanding and responding to the most challenging aspects of human history.

“At its core, this work is about humanizing,” Juzwik said. “It’s about bringing human stories to the forefront so students can learn, reflect, and engage with the world in more thoughtful ways.”

Applying for the Next Cohort

Applications for the next cohort of the Holocaust and Genocide Curriculum Fellowship are open through Friday, April 10, 2026. The program is open to Michigan educators teaching grades 8–12, in alignment with the state’s mandate for genocide education at those grade levels. Applications to participate in the August workshop are also open for Michigan State University Teacher Candidates.

“We are looking for people who are ready to make some innovations in their curriculum, to do something different, to try something out,” Yares said. “This program is about giving teachers resources and creating a space to innovate around their curriculum.”

“We are looking for people who are ready to make some innovations in their curriculum, to do something different, to try something out. This program is about giving teachers resources and creating a space to innovate around their curriculum.”

Laura Yares, Associate Professor of Judaism

As the program continues to expand, its leaders remain focused on a simple but powerful idea: meaningful change in education starts by supporting teachers.

“We’re proud of the community we’ve built,” Yares said. “It’s a group of people committed to the dignity of human flourishing and to helping the next generation understand what’s at stake.”

For more information on the program, visit the MSU Holocaust and Genocide Curriculum Fellowship website.

By Kim Popiolek