Betty A. Rosa Commissioner at New York City Department Of Education | New York City Department Of Education
The New York State Education Department has launched an online platform titled "Teaching the Holocaust and Other Genocides," aimed at supporting educators in teaching about significant historical atrocities. The resource was developed in partnership with the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center and the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, and is structured to align with state Social Studies Frameworks and Learning Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies.
Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. stated, “It is imperative that educators and students have access to a wide range of primary sources that offer perspective and drive conversation when studying these tragic, global atrocities. Teaching the Holocaust and Other Genocides is a compelling collection of historically grounded materials, curated to support educators as they promote critical thinking, empathy, and civil discourse. Ultimately, this resource encourages productive dialogue, helping prepare students for engagement on difficult topics both in and out of the classroom.”
Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, “Teaching the Holocaust and Other Genocides is an invaluable resource that will support educators in their teaching of the most difficult chapters in human history. Its value lies not only in the rich content it provides, but also in the meaningful connections it makes to human rights, social-emotional learning, and responsible citizenship. This online guide will serve as a foundation for formative lessons, helping students explore themes of courage, resilience, and moral conviction through the lived experiences of Holocaust and genocide victims, their families, and communities.”
The platform offers a variety of resources for teachers to select from according to their course needs and student diversity. It includes teaching considerations tailored for social-emotional needs as well as supports for English as a New Language (ENL) learners and students with disabilities. Educators are provided with pacing guides to structure lessons over three to five class periods.
A specific module addresses other genocides beyond the Holocaust by providing activities, case studies, readings, literature guides, annotated bibliographies, videographies, key terms/people pages, information on camps/ghettos, and guidance on selecting appropriate fiction to avoid misinformation.
This initiative seeks to help students examine events from multiple perspectives while fostering reflective thinking through accurate historical content. The material also connects with Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) Education Frameworks and Social-Emotional Learning Benchmarks set by NYSED.
The Board of Regents reviewed the platform at its September 2025 meeting following input from BOCES and local experts. The platform is being distributed statewide through various channels. The resources support §801 of New York State Education Law requiring instruction on citizenship issues including genocide studies.
For more information or access to materials visit the Teaching the Holocaust and Other Genocides website.
The Archives Partnership Trust contributes educational programming by making historical records accessible through projects such as ConsidertheSourceNY.org; research residencies; student awards; preservation efforts; outreach initiatives like New York Archives Magazine; Empire State Archives & History Award; among others.
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