Education is the greatest tool at our hands to fight and prevent genocide and mass atrocities. Education about genocide equips students with the ability to educate their peers and communities, learn from previous acts of genocide and mass atrocities, and strengthen the anti-genocide constituency. These teachings also promote the skills, knowledge, and awareness to prevent future conflict and current violence around the globe.
STAND supports students and young activists working to mandate genocide education across the United States.
Currently, these states mandate some Holocaust and/or genocide education: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennslyvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Efforts are in progress in: Louisiana, Maryland,Washington, West Virginia, and Vermont.
RESOURCES
- STAND’s State-Level Genocide Education Toolkit covers what you need to know to get started to build a local campaign.
- Contact STAND if you’re interested in working with us.
- Genocide education is just one way activists can work with STAND at the state level. Learn more about our State Advocacy Lead program here.
IN THE NEWS
- Two-thirds of American millennials don’t know about Auschwitz. A state bill would help, by Judd Olanoff (Boston Globe)
- Bill would mandate Holocaust education in Maryland schools, by Jillian Atelsek (The Frederick News-Post)
- Legislature pushes for mandatory genocide and Holocaust education in Washington public schools, by Lauren Rendahl (The Spokesman-Review)
- West Virginia considers Holocaust education, but at what age?, by Mark Curtis (12 WBOY)