Facing History outlines K‑12 teaching resources, professional learning and statewide reach for genocide and antisemitism education

Lizzie Carroll and Dustin Tinrero of Facing History and Ourselves told the commission the organization uses history, ethical reflection and emotional engagement to teach students about the Holocaust, antisemitism and civic responsibility.

Carroll, program director for Facing History in New England, said the organization’s approach combines intellectual rigor with ethical and emotional learning and provides free online resources, lesson plans and professional learning for teachers. "Our resources are accessible to educators on our website free of charge," Carroll said. She described facing history’s case study approach—studying identity and group dynamics, historical case studies and contemporary responses—and said the organization emphasizes age appropriateness and alignment with state education standards.

Dustin Tintero described Facing History’s contemporary antisemitism collection and professional offerings. He said the resource collection web page had nearly 181,000 views in the past year, that the organization trained more than 1,100 Massachusetts educators in Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism resources since 2020, and that over the last two years Facing History partnered with about 30 Massachusetts schools and districts on related curriculum and training. Tintero said the organization’s mini courses and webinars address classroom practice and digital literacy, and he cited evaluation results showing strong educator learning outcomes and student impacts: more than 90 percent of students participating in classroom work tied to Facing History reported improved understanding of antisemitism origins and tools to respond.

Both presenters pointed to the role of the state grant program tied to Massachusetts’s genocide education mandate. Tintero noted that DESE’s fiscal year 2026 teaching‑and‑learning grant cycle is open and that facing history is preparing district partnerships. Carroll and Tintero said they welcome additional district and state partnerships to support vertical alignment—coordinating middle‑ and high‑school instruction so lessons are reinforced over several years.

Commissioners asked about grade appropriateness, higher‑education partnerships, and how Facing History vets materials. Carroll said Facing History’s curriculum is primarily designed for middle and high school but can help whole‑school communities build inclusive climates at younger grades; she said the organization’s content team develops and updates materials and that resources include guidance on grade appropriateness and learning goals. Tintero described on‑demand webinars, mini courses, and cited positive participant feedback and evaluation data.

Facing History offered to share further materials and support with districts seeking to implement the state’s genocide‑education mandate and related professional learning.