The News Tribune logo

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Holocaust Conference for High School Students



For the first time, Pacific Lutheran University’s Annual Powell-Heller Conference for Holocaust Education will offer a program designed specifically for high school students. The conference, now in its sixth year, will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 13, through Friday, March 15. The high school program will take place on Friday.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Empowerment,” and the goal is to give educators, students and members of the community a way to use the lessons of the Holocaust to empower themselves and others. The high school curriculum, designed by Annie Wright history teacher Bridgette McGoldrick and Charles Wright history teacher Nick Coddington, addresses issues such as identifying injustices and taking personal responsibility, and uses resources developed by the Jewish Partisan Education Foundation. 

The program includes breakout sessions on defiance and empowerment, a talk with Holocaust survivor Suzie Sherman, and a campus tour and discussion of the college process.

“Our aim is to provide students with an opportunity to grapple with ideas about this topic that both complement and contradict their own personal worldviews,” said McGoldrick. “They will hopefully leave with a better understanding of the Holocaust, not only as an important historical event, but also as a part of the unfolding narrative of world history in the 21st century context. Experiences like these, outside the classroom, ultimately provide history students with a better sense of how they can be active agents of change in their communities and the world.”

The entire senior class at Annie Wright Upper School will attend the conference, which is free for all high school students. Parts of the conference will also be streamed live on the PLU website and Facebook page. 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why is the holocaust still being pushed?

Anonymous said...

I wonder if PLU will ever hold a conference addressing the atrocities against the Palestinians in Gaza?

Anonymous said...

I hope they will take a look at how nazified the professional Guardianship program is in Washington State. Our elderly who have professional guardians are losing their homes, their lifetime savings, and their freedom to live their lives with dignity. "Isolate-Medicate-Take the Estate" is the mantra. It's the elderly's Holocaust of the 21st Century with the court appointed guardians taking on the roll of the nazi's. Please Google, "Guardians scamming the elderly" for more information.

Anonymous said...

When I was taught about the holocaust in High School, I wondered how so many people could blindly followed Hitler. Now I see many of my fellow Americans following the same path.

Maybe the instructors are giving the growing minds something to think about. Rather than be jealous of what they don't have - to work for what they want. Be proud of who you are.

This is the only country where a poor man or woman can become rich.

Anonymous said...

No one blindly followed Hitler. Hitler and the jews was all about money, nothing more. Look at the origins of money and you will see.