THE REMEMBRANCE,
EDUCATION, INCLUSION
POLIN Museum
The main target groups of the project are school students and teachers, marginalized groups and local communities both in Warsaw and all over Poland. We will strive to increase their knowledge of the history of Polish Jews and – in the long term – change attitudes towards Jews. Our biggest ambition is to offer our visitors a transformative experience, so that the history of Polish Jews becomes as meaningful and vital to them as their own.
The planned educational and cultural activities will reach an estimated number of 70,000 participants and the resources published online will generate an estimated 1,1 million of user sessions.
More details below.
Component 1. Education for the future: Programs for schools, families and marginalized groups
The Museum’s offers for schools are focused on historical and civic education and meet the requirements of the state core curriculum. Stimulation of children and young people to activity, their engagement in education, also through play, are some of the benefits that will accrue not just in terms of deepening their knowledge, but also in shaping proper civic attitudes that refer to values such as tolerance, civil rights and freedoms, respect for those who are different, and dialogue between cultures. In particular, we want to counteract antisemitism and racism.
The project will enable outreach to thousands of students from all over Poland, through the implementation of programs on site, at the Museum, popular online workshops and the "Museum in a box" project carried out for schools from all over Poland. The "box" includes a narrative game, maps, photos and replicas of objects, as well as materials for teachers. As part of the project we will offer schools 100 boxes along with free workshops for students and training for teachers that will enable them to use the boxes in the future.
Programs for families will take place mostly in the POLIN Museum’s King Matt’s Family Educational Area which draws on the pedagogical theory of Janusz Korczak. Their aim is to introduce children and their guardians to Jewish culture and tradition, as well as foster understanding and respect for others starting at the earliest age. We will also organize large family events open to all, including a Children's Day picnic and a Family Hanukkah.
Our goal is to make POLIN’s program and resources accessible for people with disabilities. We plan adjusting selected activities to their needs and organizing workshops and dedicated events for individual visitors and for groups from schools for children with special needs.
Component 2. Education and inclusion. Programs for youth, specialists and multipliers & minority groups
Programs for teachers will offer professional development opportunities such as webinars, an Open Summer School and an international conference. Topics will be ranging from various aspects of Jewish history and culture, innovative educational methods, to contemporary challenges. We will continue to work with a network of Ambassadors – teachers and consultants in methodology who spearhead our Museum’s educational programs. We will also develop an online database of educational tools and materials, intended to facilitate conducting lessons in schools.
The Museum will carry out initiatives geared towards minority groups, especially the Ukrainian community. We strive to make the Museum and its program accessible to people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Together with our partners representing various minority groups, we plan guided tours of the Museum exhibitions in Ukrainian and Belarusian (speakers of these languages now make up a large portion of Warsaw population) and other activities tailored to the minority group needs.
In cooperation with Police trainers we will continue the anti-discriminatory training aimed at strengthening multicultural competences and combating antisemitism, xenophobia and racism and dealing with difficult topics in the history of Polish-Jewish relations.
Programs for ‘multipliers’ will include long-term courses, study visits, and exchange programs that strengthen the competencies of professionals working in museums and local cultural centres, activists and educators in the field of education about the culture and history of Polish Jews or competencies related to inclusive, anti-discriminatory education.
A series of creative workshop series for young people who will be offered an opportunity to develop photographic, film or culinary competences, while learning about the history and culture of Polish Jews. Activities will be integrative and adjusted to the needs and language skills of Ukrainian teenagers.
On March 28, 2024 we inaugurated "The Remembrance, Education, Inclusion" (REI) program which aims at combating antisemitism by preserving and popularizing the legacy of Polish Jews through innovative educational programs, facilitating access to culture, building local partnerships and expanding and sharing historical resources.