Museum Teacher Fellowship Program

The application for the 2025-2026 Museum Teacher Fellowship program is now closed.

2026-2027 Museum Teacher Fellowship applicants must attend the 2025 Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Holocaust Education, the Museum's foundational teacher education program. This is a prerequisite for the Fellowship application. Applications for the 2026-2027 program open in the summer of 2025.

The Museum’s teacher training programs ensure that learning how and why the Holocaust happened is an essential component of education in America and strengthens students' critical thinking about their roles in society.

About the Program

Established in 1996, the Museum Teacher Fellowship Program has developed a national corps of skilled educators to help lead the Museum’s efforts to ensure quality Holocaust education in secondary schools. Over 430 teachers have become a part of the corps, working to serve as conduits to the Museum for educators, institutions, professional organizations, and community groups in their regions and assisting the Museum in educational outreach and resource creation. 

Most years, the Museum selects up to 15 educators—who teach middle school through 12th grade—as new Museum Teacher Fellows. These educators must show evidence of knowledge of Holocaust history, successful teaching experience, and participation in community and professional organizations. 

Fellows participate in the Pines, Sarna, Statfeld Summer Institute for the Museum Teacher Fellowship Program held at the Museum in Washington, DC. This institute is designed to immerse Fellows in advanced historical and pedagogical issues.  Following the institute, they organize and implement a professional development event for educators in their schools, communities, or professional organizations, highlighting Museum resources. In July of the following year, they attend a follow-up program at the Museum to continue their study of the Holocaust with Museum staff and noted speakers.  Travel expenses are covered, and teachers receive an honorarium for their work during the fellowship year. 

Application Requirements

The Museum welcomes applications from middle and high school teachers of history, social studies, foreign languages, English, journalism, and other related disciplines. Applicants must teach in the United States and have a minimum of five years of experience teaching about the Holocaust. Additionally, applicants must have attended the Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Holocaust Education.

The Museum does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in the selection of its Museum Teacher Fellows.

Questions? Email MuseumTeacherFellows@ushmm.org.