The Holocaust Memorial Center Teaching Trunks:
A Success Story

Early in its history, the Holocaust Center made a commitment to provide teachers with the all of the resources and materials necessary to implement Holocaust education in the classroom. With this commitment, the concept of the teaching trunk was born. Four teaching trunks were created containing curricula, as well as photo, print, and audio-visual resources appropriate for middle school use. The trunks were an immediate success and have been in high demand ever since. Over the years, ten more middle school trunks have been added to the collection. Eight elementary and five high school level trunks have also been created and put into circulation.

The Holocaust Memorial Center's teaching trunks have become an essential feature of many classrooms in Central Florida. They are available for use in public and private schools, free of charge. Thousands of local students have learned about the Holocaust, at least in part, through their use. The influence of the teaching trunks also extends beyond this area. Many other Holocaust Centers across the United States have sought our advice about the teaching trunk program and have adopted this concept for use in their own communities. The Holocaust Center regularly updates the materials in the trunks to provide schools with the best available resources. In this way, we hope the trunks will continue to be an important force in Holocaust education for years to come.