AUSTIN, Texas—Twenty future teachers in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin have been awarded Warren Fellowships by Holocaust Museum Houston.
The Warren Fellowship Program provides a six-day, all-expense paid summer institute at Holocaust Museum Houston in Houston, Texas, during which future elementary, middle and secondary school educators receive intensive training in historical and pedagogical issues related to the Holocaust. This year’s institute will be held May 16-21.
In addition to obtaining a strong background in Holocaust history, Warren Fellows will be called upon to represent Holocaust Museum Houston at events and conferences, serving as ambassadors who communicate the mission of the museum.
“The Warren Fellows will become the museum’s certified mentor teachers,” says Christina Vasquez, director of education at the museum. “And their knowledge will not only affect their students, but also fellow teachers through the remainder of their teaching careers. We are hoping this course will light a fire in these teachers and they will continue to learn on their own, becoming experts.”
At the summer institute Warren Fellows will receive instruction from renowned Holocaust scholars, hear firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors and learn teaching techniques from classroom teachers who have successfully incorporated Holocaust education into their curriculum. Lectures will be supplemented with museum tours, research in the museum’s extensive library and viewing of primary documents from the museum’s archives.
Each fellow will choose a topic relevant to the grade level and content he or she will be teaching and will develop appropriate lesson plans.
“The long-term goal is to publish a book with new and successful lesson plans that illustrate the universal lessons of the Holocaust,” says Susan Llanes-Myers, executive director at the museum.
The Warren Fellowship, now in its second year, is funded by Naomi Warren, a Holocaust survivor, and her family.
For more information contact: Dr. Sherry Field, 512-471-4611; Kay Randall, Office of Public Affairs, 512-232-3910; or Mike Rosen, 713-942-8000, ext. 103.
