The Holocaust Educational Trust is pleased to invite applications for our Annual Advanced Teacher Training Programme in partnership with Yad Vashem (Lublin, Poland - July 2025).
Introductory seminar (Zoom): Thursday 17 July 2025
Residential Course in partnership with Yad Vashem (Lublin, Poland): Friday 25 July to Friday 1 August 2025
Follow-up weekend (UK): Friday 21 November to Sunday 23 November 2025
Programme overview
Our most advanced course is intended for teachers who aspire to lead Holocaust education within their schools, transmitting knowledge to colleagues and developing schemes of work. The course provides an opportunity for teachers to engage in historical discussions about the Holocaust, and to explore advanced debates about pedagogy and the future of Holocaust education. Teachers will additionally benefit from the educational resources offered by Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies and “Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre”, a cultural institution based in the city of Lublin, Poland.
The programme is composed of a one-day online introductory seminar, an overseas residential programme in partnership with Yad Vashem and “Grodzka Gate - NN Theatre”, and a follow-up weekend in the UK. The course gives teachers the opportunity to hear from leading Holocaust academics, allows for reflection on current classroom practice, and showcases lesson resources.
The programme will focus on advancing study of Polish-Jewish history, the Holocaust and the German occupation of Poland. The project will be academically rigorous, involving classroom based historical and pedagogical sessions, walking tours of Lublin, and visits to sites in the Lublin region, including Bełżec, Sobibór and Majdanek.
Lublin was arguably the most important city in the history of the Holocaust. Not only was it the home of one of Europe’s most celebrated and culturally significant pre-war Jewish populations; it was the headquarters of Aktion Reinhard, the largest killing operation of the Holocaust, in which at least 1.7 million Jews were murdered. Many of the key sites in this murder campaign were located in the Lublin region (including Bełżec and Sobibór extermination camps) whilst some (including Majdanek concentration camp and a network of forced labour camps for Jews) were located in the city itself.
We encourage everyone thinking of applying to attend our 'The Holocaust beyond Auschwitz' Teacher Study Seminars (Monday 10 March, 16:30-18:30 and Monday 17 March, 16:30-18:30) where speakers from ‘Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre’, the State Museum at Majdanek and Bildungswerk Stanislaw Hantz will explore this forgotten history.
Feedback from previous participants:
“This course has had a really positive impact on my knowledge, understanding and confidence with the Holocaust. The personal stories that I can relate to my students makes their learning experiences far more valuable”
“The course inspired me to get more involved in Holocaust teaching around the school, and I have made links with other departments”
“The wealth of knowledge that this course has developed and the confidence that it brings in the classroom is invaluable”
“The course presented an amazing opportunity to develop subject knowledge and understanding with a clear set of ideas on pedagogical practice. I have been given a wealth of resources to help improve practice in my own classroom and ways to share the findings in my school”
Who should apply?
Applications are invited from primary and secondary teachers and trainees of any subject area who are currently in post across the UK. Participants are required to be available for the entirety of the course. We welcome applications from teachers engaged in the Vision Schools Scotland programme.
The Holocaust Educational Trust offers a programme of teacher training courses which are intended support teachers in career-long professional learning. The programme begins with our foundational Exploring the Holocaust: UK Residential Course. On completion of our Exploring the Holocaust: UK Residential Course, we encourage participants to join one of our advanced training courses including Teacher Study Visits and our most advanced programme with Yad Vashem.
We can only accept 23 teachers on this programme. When allocating places on our advanced training courses, priority is given to those who have completed our Exploring the Holocaust: UK Residential Course.
On completion of the programme, participants are expected to use the knowledge obtained in their educational practice. Following the course, participants are asked to commit to sharing future teacher training opportunities with colleagues and will be encouraged to organise a free CPD/CLPL workshop with the Holocaust Educational Trust for their department/faculty/school and/or MAT.
In order to report back to our funders on the impact of the programme, you will be asked in the application form about the impact you envisage the programme having on your own teaching, or on the teaching of the Holocaust within your department and your wider school community. Following the course, participants will be asked to write a short (≈1000 word) statement reflecting on the impact of the programme (due Tuesday 3 February 2026), these will be used to write a report examining the efficacy of the project.
How much does it cost?
The course is free to attend. The Trust will provide meals and accommodation for the duration of the course. Participants are asked to cover the costs of their own travel (to join the overseas residential programme, and follow-up weekend), though the Trust can write a letter to their headteacher requesting that these be covered by their school’s CPD budget.
How to Apply
Please click here to complete our online application form.
Application deadline: Tuesday 18 March 2025
We will let applicants know about places on Friday 21 March 2025
This programme has been made possible thanks to assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Supported by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future and by the German Federal Ministry of Finance.
