Nearly two million students worldwide have examined case studies about genocides and other historical crimes against humanity, and turned the travesties into a message to effect change, thanks to the nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves.
The organization offers a course, Face History, to students across the United States and abroad with the help of 28,000 trained educators. Its mission is to empower students by drawing a connection between events like the Holocaust and contemporary issues that high schoolers face everyday, like bullying or harassment.
The Get Schooled campaign recently featured the organization's efforts at Arlington High School in Memphis. Rachel Shankman, the senior director of its Memphis office, said:
'We aren't saying that you can draw a direct line from name-calling and bullying to genocide, but we do know that genocide begins with ideas about the other, about power, opportunism, about small steps. If we can help students develop the critical thinking skills to pause, be a stop sign when they see a small injustice take place, they can learn their choices matter.'"
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Go to the Facing History website to learn more about the organization or make a donation.