Facing History and Ourselves is an international organization that provides professional development services and curricular resources to educators. It was founded in 1976 by Margot Stern Strom[1] and Bill Parsons. It focuses on bringing ethical and moral philosophy to history and social studies classes, particularly regarding issues of racism, civic responsibility and tolerance.
Contents |
Since 1976, Facing History and Ourselves has offered professional development services; curricular resources; and support to secondary school educators and students in the areas of history, social studies, and language arts. The organization is dedicated to helping teachers around the world lead their students in a critical examination of history, with particular focus on genocide and mass violence.
In 1976, teacher Margot Stern Strom developed a program that related her work in moral development to the history of the Holocaust. Facing History and Ourselves evolved from classroom experience and a partnership with William Parsons and other colleagues who offered their expertise and support.
Facing History deals with the hatreds that exist in the world and how we confront them. By encouraging adolescents to learn history, training teachers and giving them a community to call on for resources and support in times of crisis and challenge, and advancing scholarship around issues such as the Holocaust and eugenics, Facing History demonstrates that students and teachers can have a positive impact on the world and provides them with the historical context to understand where they might begin.
Facing History and Ourselves believes that the study of the Holocaust and the importance of democratic citizenship should be an integral part of children’s education and that as Holocaust survivors pass on, their stories need to continue to be told. Some of the Holocaust survivors who told their stories through Facing History and Ourselves were Sonia Weitz, co-founder of the Holocaust Center Boston North[2] and Alan A. Brown. The Holocaust Center Boston North[3] does this through its Holocaust Legacy Project.
In 1994, the organization published Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior, the first nationally distributed edition of its resource book. Subsequent publications include Elements of Time: Holocaust Testimonies and Choosing to Participate: A Critical Examination of Citizenship in American History.
For engaging students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry, Facing History and Ourselves received the Courage of Conscience Award from The Peace Abbey in Sherborn, Massachusetts.[4]
For her work with Facing History and Ourselves, Margot Stern Strom was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education by Simmons College in 2008.
Facing History and Ourselves serves an ever-expanding global network of educators reaching an estimated 1.6 million students around the world each year. The network includes teachers in over 80 countries and is headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts. Other offices are in Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles, California; Memphis, Tennessee; New York City, New York; San Francisco, California; Toronto, Ontario; and London, England.