Education Program Developer

Information about the organization

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention.

In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion.

Information about the role

This position is located within the office of the William Levine Family Institute for Holocaust Education at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. As the public education arm of the Museum, the Levine Institute is responsible for creating, planning, developing, directing and administering a wide range of educational programs, exhibitions, trainings, and resources on the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance. The Levine Institute seeks to provide for and promote the education, knowledge and study of the Holocaust and why and how it happened for a range of constituencies, including the public, teachers, students, emerging adults, military, law enforcement, the judiciary, and government, both in the United States and internationally. The Levine Institute is viewed and respected by people around the world as a provider of high-quality Holocaust exhibitions, pedagogical approaches, programming and resources for a variety of educational settings.

The incumbent serves as Education Program Developer for the Initiative on Holocaust Denial and Antisemitism (IHDA), responsible for (i) developing audience-specific educational programming in close cooperation with on-the-ground partners and (ii) advancing IHDA’s capacity/ability to develop audience appropriate educational programming, models, and resources that advance IHDA objectives, that promote critical thinking and self-reflection, and that strengthen the field of global Holocaust education. IHDA’s international educational outreach programs provide accurate information about the Holocaust in ways relevant to global audiences today - specifically in environments where the history of the Holocaust may be denied, distorted, or dismissed as irrelevant. Our strategy relies heavily on developing educational programming in partnership with institutions, organizations and individuals in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa as well as institutions with global reach such as UNESCO. These partners help to connect us to the young adults, educators, and civil society leaders the Museum seeks to reach in places where Holocaust denial, distortion and related antisemitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories are influential.

This position is located in Washington, DC and is hybrid telework eligible, within the local commuting area of the Museum worksite. This is a full-time donated position (non-Federal) paid with the Museum’s private funds. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Major Duties, and Responsibilities

• Develops Holocaust education programs for specific international audiences, focusing on young adults and emerging leaders in places where Holocaust denial, distortion, antisemitism, and extremist ideology are influential. In general, these programs will be designed and implemented (i) with the input and participation of partners in touch with our target audiences, and (ii) in collaboration with relevant IHDA and Museum staff. Collaboration with on-the-ground partners to deliver a shared product is a crucial part of our strategy to encourage ownership of the educational programs and to ensure that the programming has the intended results with respect to our target audiences. Such educational programming may: be conducted online or in-person, take place inside or outside the Museum, and may vary in length from a single half-day session to multiple sessions over several days.
• Develop participant centered workshops on key topics of the history of the Holocaust and its relevance today for IHDA target audiences
• Develop participant-centered workshops in connection with USHMM traveling exhibitions, including on the power of propaganda and the choices made by ordinary people during the Holocaust
• Develop thematic programs or debrief discussions for priority international audiences following a guided tour of USHMM permanent or special exhibitions,
• Develop participant-centered workshops to build the capacity of international education stakeholders to develop context-relevant Holocaust education programs for diverse audiences (stakeholders may include formal and informal educators, policy makers, government officials, and civil society leaders);
• Develop programs to build resilient networks and communities of practice for education stakeholders who work to teach this history in environments where the history of the Holocaust may be denied, distorted, or dismissed as irrelevant;
• Responsible for programs or dialogue sessions that address challenging conversations;
• Site visits to places of memory around the world (both sites of Holocaust memory and other violent pasts);
• In consultation with other Museum educators and experts, advance IHDA’s capacity/ability to develop educational programming and models.
• Work closely with IHDA staff and educational advisors to develop an Educational Framework that can serve as a roadmap for stakeholders to develop context-specific, context-relevant educational programming on the Holocaust in countries around the world.
• Document educational program design, pedagogical methods, and implementation in ways that the programs can be implemented and modified by others inside and outside the Museum.
• Participate in the implementation of educational programs, as needed, although many programs will be designed to be implemented by others.
• Create or manage the creation, as appropriate, of educational resources to be used in IHDA educational programs, including the translation of existing resources into new languages. Such management requires working with external partners as well as staff outside of IHDA to include other divisions in the Levine Institute for Holocaust Education, Center for the Prevention of Genocide, Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, and the office of Marketing and Communications.
• Lead the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation of IHDA educational programming against learning and related program outcomes, including in relation to Museum/Levine strategic plans, working at times with outside experts and evaluators, as appropriate. Documents results and findings via written reports and through other communication methods in ways that can be integrated into on-going Museum discussions on educational approaches and future decision-making.
• In consultation with the division director, provide advice and other assistance to other team members on educational aspects of IHDA projects.
• Monitor development in relevant aspects of global Holocaust education, including the perception of the Holocaust among IHDA target audiences.
• Contribute to Levine- and Museum-wide initiatives regarding education program development, monitoring and evaluation, and other aspects of educational approaches.
• Consult with the IHDA director on a regular basis to address challenges and strategies to overcome obstacles to the successful and timely completion of projects.
• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications for the role

• Graduate degree in a relevant field (preferred education, social sciences, history, museum studies) or equivalent work experience.
• At least 5 years of experience developing and working on educational programs such as:
  • For young adults in informal (e.g. civil society organizations, museums and other cultural institutions; continuing education/professional development); or formal (secondary school, college) settings;
  • In tandem with implementing partners and other audience experts and for a variety of target audiences;
  • Designed for groups of participants encompassing a variety of perspectives on the topic and/or a variety of national backgrounds;
  • Covering topics that may be contested, controversial, emotionally sensitive, politicized, and/or approached differently by different segments of the intended audience (e.g. topics such as pluralism, human rights, women’s rights, the Holocaust, genocide);
  • Incorporating participant-centered approaches (i.e. intentional, structured methodologies that enable active and genuine participation, and promote the relevance of the topic among the participants).
• Ability to communicate, orally and in writing, at all audience levels.
• Knowledge of the philosophies and theories of education in a discipline such as history, the social sciences, or other appropriate liberal arts background with ability to apply that knowledge in the development of museum education programs.
• Willingness and ability to travel to develop and implement programming.
• Strong public speaking skills to interact with and deliver presentations to a wide variety of audiences and learning styles.
• Track record demonstrating an ability to work independently and an equal ability to function effectively as a team member.
• Excellent organizational skills demonstrated by past performance/programs, project management, or other projects.
• Ability to apply analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to assess program and resource effectiveness.
• Ease of use of various digital technologies including presentation, word, and spreadsheet platforms, as well as social and digital media outlets.
• Good research and analytical skills to research and compile information from a variety of sources for reports, correspondence, other systems tracking, and educational resources. Ability to do research into complex historical issues and themes.

Preferred Qualifications for the role

• Fluency or proficiency in French, Arabic, Spanish or another language.
• Experience in educational work in the Middle East/North Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Experience developing remote, online educational programs.
• Experience working with educational or non-profit organizations.
• Experience working with global perspectives on Holocaust education or experience engaging with the global relevance of the Holocaust.
• Experience working with large, complex organizations.
• Knowledge of the Museum and its mission and the history of the Holocaust.

The application deadline for this position is December 25, 2024.

Interested applicants must send their resume and cover letter; applications without a cover letter will not be considered.