by George J Elbaum

The Holocaust Center for Humanity‘s (HCH) Student Leadership Board (SLB) began in 2016 as a way for students in the Seattle area to become engaged with HCH programs and its museum.  Today, the SLB is in its seventh year, and its members are in grades 7-12 from all over Washington State, working together using a hybrid model of Zoom and in-person meetings and events.  HCH staff members from the Center’s Education Department lead the group along with five 12th grade SLB Officers.  This school year, the SLB goals for its members are:

• Enhance their historical understanding of the Holocaust
• Feel empowered, supported, and comfortable assuming a leadership role amongst their peers
• Be comfortable speaking out, i.e. be an upstander when witnessing a wrong occurring
• Collaborate as part of a group or team
• Be able to understand and make connections between the Holocaust, other historic injustices, and those going on today 

Projects and activities this year include learning stories of Holocaust Survivors and their descendants; exploring the history of antisemitism and how it appears today; establishing partnerships with other organizations like Jewish Family Service, etc; establishing awareness campaigns to educate others in their communities; and volunteering for Holocaust Center events.

My talk to the SLB today was organized by Julia Thompson, HCH Education Program Manager and assisted by Morgan Romero, Museum and Education Assistant.