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Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Commission seeks steady funding to expand education, field trips and teacher training
Summary
The Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission asked the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee for continued funding in the governor's budget to expand field-trip funding, teacher professional development and survivor engagement statewide.
Andrea Brookover, executive director of the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission, told the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee Feb. 4 that sustained state funding is necessary to expand field-trip access, professional development for teachers, higher-education initiatives and survivor testimony programs across Ohio.
Why it matters: The commission said recent national surveys show gaps in Holocaust knowledge and increased reported incidents of antisemitism, and it argued that education, survivor testimony and field trips reduce misinformation and build critical thinking.
Brookover said the governor's budget includes $985,000 for each fiscal year (FY26 and FY27), consistent with FY24 appropriation levels. She reported the commission has provided more than $120,000 in field-trip funding since fall 2023 to support 5,300 students from 60 schools in 24 counties. The commission also has funded educator professional-development grants to more than 50 secondary educators, and it has supported higher-education initiatives at several state universities. Brookover said the commission has helped connect students directly to survivors and their families; she described the educational impact with a student quote about thinking before speaking.
The commission said that with sustained funds it could expand traveling exhibitions, bring programming into underserved regions and build professional development opportunities in all 88 counties. Brookover also noted two major traveling exhibitions scheduled for Ohio in 2025–26 and said state support would broaden student and public access to those exhibits.
What was not decided: The hearing recorded testimony only; no committee actions or votes were taken during Brookover's presentation.
Looking ahead: The commission asked lawmakers to maintain the proposed funding level to expand educator training, field trips and higher-education coursework in Holocaust and genocide studies.
