The NJEA Consortium, in collaboration with the Holocaust Resource Center of Kean University, and the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education, hosted a conference on “Journeys of Inclusion” on March 15 at Kean University’s Liberty Hall.
The conference opened with a panel of educators who have participated in the NJ Commission Holocaust Journey, which enables educators to travel to Europe and expand their understanding of the Holocaust.
The panel was moderated by NJEA Vice President Steve Beatty, who undertook the trip in 2023 with his wife, Cinnaminson special education teacher Tamara Beatty, who also participated on the panel. They were joined by Shana Stein, a teacher in Montclair and an adjunct faculty member at Kean, and Alexander DiGiovanni and Lisa Hanna, teachers in the Twp. of Ocean.
Breakout sessions led by area experts covered topics such as “Facing History & Ourselves NJ,” “Holocaust Education in New Jersey: 40 Years of Leadership and Learning,” and “LGBTQIA History and Disability Mandate and Curriculum: Practical Approaches for Today’s Classrooms.” “Amplifying Inclusivity and Representation with the NJEA Consortium” was facilitated by NJEA Consortium Design Team Ambassadors, Talena Lachelle Queen and Tamar LaSure-Owens.
The NJEA Consortium also supplied more than 200 inclusive children’s books for attendees.
NJ State Teacher of the Year Joe Nappi led a lunch and learn, and the day ended with a film screening of “The Hidden Child” and discussion led by Maud Dahme, a hidden child during the Holocaust who has led the NJ Commission Holocaust Journey since 1999.
The NJEA Consortium is composed of NJEA staff members and three cohorts of member design-teams. It is partnered with more than 25 colleges and universities, museums and historical commissions, and social and racial justice advocacy organizations. The consortium leads an innovative initiative that intends to infuse historically marginalized identities into K-12 teaching and learning. Curriculum alone is not enough; the consortium also focuses on developing high-quality professional learning for members and fostering meaningful community conversations that will prepare all stakeholders to understand, embrace and celebrate New Jersey’s diversity.
