GNS: Learning from the Past
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As part of their commitment to lifelong learning and their personal professional development, GYPSD's educators are always seeking valuable educational opportunities to increase their knowledge and then share with their peers and students.
Assistant Principal Barbara Madsen from Harry Collinge High School in Hinton was honoured to be selected as one of only 25 educators from across Canada to receive a Holocaust Educators' Scholarship through the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem. For two weeks in July, she studied Holocaust Education in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust Research Center and
memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.
Ms. Madsen applied for the scholarship as she has always incorporated some form of Holocaust literature in her English classes. The poetry, stories, films, memoirs, and images about the Holocaust provide her students the opportunity to explore universal themes about the human condition such as racism, discrimination, humanity, and resiliency. She wanted to deepen her understanding as she felt that she wasn’t always as equipped to deal with the complexities of this subject as she could be.
The 2023 Yad Vashem summer seminar provided her with tools, technology, and resources to more effectively teach Holocaust history and literature. Connecting and collaborating with Canadian colleagues was another benefit of the program: educators face different challenges based on their context and location across the country.
A major highlight for Ms. Madsen was meeting Holocaust survivor, Eva Lang. "Her message to never forget, to learn from the past, and to create a positive space for future generations will motivate me as an educator moving forward. "