The Holocaust Educational Trust is pleased to invite applications for our Teacher Study Visit to Rome, which will take place in October 2026.
Dates
- Introductory seminar (Zoom): Sunday 11 October 2026 (09:30-14:30)
- Visit (Rome): Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27 October 2026
- Follow-up Seminar (Zoom): Sunday 17 January 2027 (09:30-14:30)
Applications deadline - Thursday 23 July 2026
Programme overview
Our Teacher Study Visits are advanced site-based training courses which develop teachers’ knowledge of the richness and diversity of pre-war Jewish life and on the complexity of the history of the Holocaust.
Rome is an essential place for understanding both the deep roots of Jewish life in Europe and the complex history of the Holocaust in Italy. As home to one of the world’s oldest continuous Jewish communities, Rome embodies the full spectrum of the diaspora experience, from early settlement to the creation of the papal ghetto in 1555 and the long struggle for emancipation. Italy’s unusual Holocaust story, marked by high levels of assimilation, the contradictions of Fascism, and the remarkable survival of most Italian Jews, comes into sharp focus here. The October 1943 deportation of more than 1,000 Roman Jews, the role of rescue networks such as Delasem, and the actions of clergy and ordinary citizens who sheltered thousands reveal a landscape of moral complexity, courage and betrayal. The wider Church played a significant part in saving lives, even as debates continue about the silence of Pope Pius XII. Today’s community of around 13,500 people maintains an unbroken link with its ancient past, making Rome a uniquely powerful setting for teachers to deepen their historical understanding, enrich their pedagogy, and engage directly with the places where these stories unfolded.
On-site sessions, delivered by the Trust’s expert team, will be academically rigorous and interactive, incorporating a wide range of stimuli to discuss and critically evaluate the complex history of the Holocaust.
Feedback from previous Teacher Study Visits:
“I really enjoyed the course. I learned so much. It gave me a lot of ideas for how to approach teaching the Holocaust differently.”
“My subject knowledge and confidence in understanding the complexity of the Holocaust have been phenomenally improved by taking part in this course”
“The trip was packed full of information, both practically useful and deeply thought-provoking”
“Thank you very much for the opportunity. It has been a memorable experience and I would recommend it highly to others”
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 to 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 at Yad Vashem
We can only accept 25 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 take knowledge obtained during the course back to their classrooms or utilise the principles of site pedagogy to organise visits for their students. 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, we ask that you write a short (≈1000 word) statement reflecting on the impact of the programme (due Tuesday 09 February 2027); these will be used to write a report examining the efficacy of the project.
Participants who have previously attended a Teacher Study Visit will be asked to present to their department on the importance of site-based learning and encouraged to organise a free CPD/CLPL workshop with the Holocaust Educational Trust for their department/faculty/school and/or MAT.
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 Rome, 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
Applications deadline - Thursday 23 July 2026
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.
