Community of Holocaust Education Centers

The Community of Holocaust Education Centers (CHEC) is a dedicated network of local and regional organizations that participates in training at the Museum, learning about new resources and historical content, and engaging in ongoing collaboration with peers advancing Holocaust education across the country.

The Museum provides ongoing support to each CHEC partner with a variety of resources aligned with their unique educational goals. Collectively this network aims to ensure that every secondary student in the US can examine how and why the Holocaust happened, and think critically about their roles and responsibilities today.

Holocaust Centers Joining this Community

• Participate in a comprehensive professional learning program to advance best practices in Holocaust education

• Collaborate with a Museum Teacher Fellow in their region

• Join monthly learning and networking opportunities

• Have early access to Museum resources, professional learning opportunities, and special educator programming and events

CHEC Conference

Holocaust organizations selected for the Community of Holocaust Education Centers attend a three-day professional learning conference at the Museum in Washington, DC. Working closely with Museum historians and educators, the CHEC cohort learns about teaching guidelines, Museum resources, and collections that advance their educational programming.

Co-Hosted Local Workshops

Each CHEC partner is paired with a Holocaust orgnization that has taken part in CHEC during the conference and through the following two years. Working with the Museum, they co-design and conduct a local professional development workshop for educators that demonstrates how to use CHEC center and Museum resources to support high-quality Holocaust education. Please check back on this page for information on the follow-up organization.

Ongoing Support and Networking

After the two-year cohort is completed, CHEC partners will remain engaged with the Museum and others in the Community. This network meets regularly to learn from leading educators and fellow CHEC partners to address challenges of and opportunities within Holocaust education, memory, and awareness.

How to Become a CHEC Partner 

The next CHEC conference will take place in February 2026. More information is forthcoming in summer 2025. Please note that only one person from an organization may attend, preferably a staff member who oversees teacher professional development. Details about eligibility and requirements will be available in summer 2025.

For information about CHEC, contact Christina Chavarria at cchavarria@ushmm.org