Facing History and Ourselves Canada

Facing History and Ourselves is an international education organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the lessons of the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, and other historical examples of violence and genocide, Facing History helps young people make connections to the moral choices they face today. We reach young people through training their teachers, using the lessons using key histories as a lens through which to consider how societies’ become integrated, or exclusionary, and the danger inherent in racism and prejudice. Teachers in the classroom are best positioned to help young people connect history to their own lives thereby increasing their social and academic engagement, and help them to better understand what it means to live in a multicultural community and to be a citizen in a democracy. In 2008, Facing History in partnership with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) created a grade 11 history course entitled Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. This course has subsequently been approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education and can be offered by any school board in the province. Currently, the course is offered by 30 schools in school boards across Ontario including the Toronto District School Board, Waterloo Region, Hastings Prince Edward County, and Hamilton-Wentworth.