Museum Education

Recent local and global events illustrate the growing scourge of antisemitism and racially motivated hatred that the Museum works to combat.

The Museum takes hope that just as hatred is learned, it can be unlearned. A 2023 study from the Anti-Defamation League found that students who learned about the Holocaust in school believe the fewest antisemitic tropes. These findings support the need for more, better Holocaust education.

Education is at the heart of the Museum’s mission, and its role in teaching about the ramifications of unchecked hatred is increasingly more necessary. The Museum teaches about some of humanity’s most incredible stories of struggle and courage in an age-appropriate way to empower students to be Upstanders against hatred. The Museum respectfully requests a grant of $5,000 from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation to support the Museum’s educational efforts to provide quality, engaging, and memorable education to students.

The Museum's primary goal is to positively influence behavior through education. As the only museum serving North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana with a dual focus on the Holocaust and human rights, the Museum is a crucial education resource.

The Museum will reach 190,000 students this year with meaningful lessons and programs that immerse students in lessons about the Holocaust, the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights following World War II, historical and contemporary genocides, and America’s human and civil rights journey. The Museum provides student group tours for grades 6-12; a Student Museum Experience Fund to pay for Title I low-income school visits; live and recorded testimonies of Holocaust survivors; professional training programs for teachers; and more. The Museum’s education staff ensures that all tours and programs are grade-appropriate and aligned with the State of Texas curriculum.

Through highlighting historical events and people, the Museum illustrates the importance of empathy, understanding, and doing the right thing. Students not only gain historical knowledge, but their attitudes and behaviors are positively impacted by the Museum’s lessons.

The Museum has established strong partnerships with school administrations and educators. The Museum collaborates with 16 regional school districts to provide educational programs and field trips to students on an annual basis. More than 87% of the students that the Museum serves each year are from Title I low-income schools.

A survey by the SMU Center on Research and Evaluation from fall 2022 to fall 2023 gauged the impact of Museum visits on students. This survey illustrates robust knowledge gains, with 79% of middle school and 82% of high school students showing increased knowledge. Students’ attitudes and behaviors were positively impacted, with 82% of students reporting the tour inspired them to become an Upstander. In addition, 65% of teachers indicated that this visit influenced how they will teach about the Holocaust, genocides, and human and civil rights, indicating their desire to make these teachings more interactive, use these topics to cultivate empathy and compassion and incorporate more Upstander education.

Funding from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation will help the Museum positively impact students’ behavior and attitudes through education.