Christopher Holub and Ginger Mickey, teachers at Jim Thorpe High School in Jim Thorpe, attended the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's fifteenth annual Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators: Social Studies from July 13 to 15. They were among 94 social studies educators from around the country who participated in the three-day workshop.

The conference is part of the museum's ongoing effort to equip educators nationwide with the knowledge and skills to effectively bring Holocaust education into their classrooms. Every year, the museum trains hundreds of teachers through training programs held in Washington, D.C. and around the country."The legacy of the Holocaust remains very much a part of our world," says Pete Fredlake, Director of Museum National Outreach for Teacher Initiatives. "Teaching students the causes of and the responses to the Holocaust will build a foundation for understanding this history and its continuing relevance to us in the 21st century which is why it is important to build the foundation by training teachers."Conference participants work with museum educators and Holocaust scholars to enhance both their historical knowledge of the Holocaust and explore successful practices that engage students in this history.The museum promotes the responsible teaching of the Holocaust by providing training and support materials to secondary educators of all levels of experience nationwide. Teachers with five or more years experience in Holocaust education may participate in the Belfer Next Step Conference held every two years, or the intensive, five-day Museum Teacher Fellowship program held each summer. In addition, the Museum's Regional Education Corps is a dedicated and growing team of 35 advanced Holocaust educators who provide other teachers around the country with the tools to teach the Holocaust effectively.The Museum's website,

www.ushmm.org