The University of Kentucky-Jewish Heritage Fund Holocaust Education Initiative invites applications from Kentucky middle and high school teachers interested in serving as teacher leaders to enhance and support Holocaust education in Kentucky.
Teacher leaders support the initiative by developing and delivering workshops on teaching the Holocaust and Jewish history more broadly to teachers across the Commonwealth.
These workshops are designed to support effectively incorporating the Holocaust and other Jewish history content into social studies, English/language arts, humanities, arts, and other courses in Kentucky.
Teacher leaders will also collaborate to develop teaching materials that may be added to the UK-JHF initiative lesson plan library, available to teachers across the Commonwealth in an online curriculum database.
Teacher leaders will be compensated $4000 for their role in the initiative.
Expectations/Requirements
Teacher Leaders will:
- attend an in-person leadership training scheduled for July 30-August 1, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky. Travel, room, and board will be provided;
- facilitate at least one workshop for teachers in spring/summer 2026 in collaboration with other teacher leaders and steering committee members;
- create model teaching materials for submission to the UK-JHF initiative resource library;
- publicize opportunities for professional learning and recruit participants to UK-JHF workshops with colleagues; and
- meet virtually twice monthly for teacher leader seminars throughout fall 2025 and spring 2026 to work with UK facilitators and the teacher leader cohort (6-7:30pm on Mondays).
Goals and Vision
This initiative, funded by a grant from the Jewish Heritage Fund, seeks to create opportunities for interdisciplinary content sharing, pedagogical training, and collaborative planning by pairing the content and instructional expertise of university and K-12 instructors from across the Commonwealth. The grant also seeks to build the capacity of teachers across the state for effective Holocaust education.
Who is Eligible?
Kentucky middle and high school teachers at least three years from retirement are welcome to apply. We especially welcome applications in social studies, English/language arts, and arts/humanities. Teachers with experience teaching about the Holocaust or related content are especially encouraged, though prior experience is not required.
Who Should Apply?
Teachers who are interested in:
- expanding their knowledge and experience in teaching the Holocaust
- serving as leaders for the teaching community
- collaborating with university and other middle and high school instructors to support and produce meaningful pedagogical materials and strategies for teaching of the Holocaust
- leading collaborative workshops with fellow teachers in spring/summer 2026
How to Apply?
Applicants should complete this Application Form no later than 5 p.m. on March 31, 2025. If you have any questions, please email Lauren Hill at lauren.hill2@uky.edu. Applicants will hear from our selection committee before the end of April.