Teaching Trunks | Frequently Asked Questions
The Florida Holocaust Museum’s Teaching Trunks bring the lessons of the Holocaust directly into classrooms, ensuring that Survivors’ stories and legacies live on. Below, we answer some common questions about how the program works and how you can help it grow.
Q: What exactly are Teaching Trunks?
A: Teaching Trunks are actual traveling trunks filled with grade and age-appropriate educational materials that are shipped to elementary, middle, and high schools throughout Florida and across other states. We also work with families that home-school their children. Our Education Team has meticulously curated the materials included in the trunks, such as books, videos, maps, and other items.
Q: How did the Teaching Trunks program begin?
A: The Florida Holocaust Museum advocated to our partner, the Florida Department of Education, for Holocaust education to become mandatory in the statewide curriculum. As a result, Florida passed its Holocaust Education Mandate in 1994, making it one of the first states in the nation to do so.
Q: Why are Teaching Trunks so important?
A: The Trunks play a crucial role in educating our students about the horrors and the lessons of the Holocaust. Education takes “Never Again” from an adage to a call to action. As we lose our generation of Survivors at a sadly increasing pace, it is imperative that we do everything we can to make sure future generations learn about the Holocaust and become empowered to learn from its lessons.
Q: How do schools get involved with The Florida Holocaust Museum?
A: All they need to do is fill out a request on our website, and our Education Team will work in collaboration with the teachers and the schools to customize the materials they receive. Trunks can be shipped out as early as within one day’s notice. Trunks typically remain in the classroom for about six weeks, but schools may keep them for an entire semester if they would like to.
Q: How much does it cost the schools to participate?
A: There is no cost to the schools. All costs associated with the Trunks (including the approximately $400/per trunk to ship, plus refreshing and updating materials) are paid for by your donations to The Florida Holocaust Museum.
Q: What grades are eligible to have a Teaching Trunk sent to their classroom?
A: We work with students from 1st through 12th grade. Our 1st and 2nd graders learn about character and resilience, and our 3rd and 4th graders learn about creating community, good citizenship, and kindness. In 5th grade, we introduce the Holocaust and include lessons about empathy, responsibility, and problem solving. It is during middle school and high school that the students really begin to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and Human Rights.
Q: How do the educators know how to present the materials that The Florida Holocaust Museum provides?
A: Your donations pay for The Florida Holocaust Museum to train the teachers with no cost to the schools or the educators. Teachers can take the training virtually or in person to receive their Certificate of Completion. Our in-house Education Team facilitates the trainings.
Q: How can I help?
A: Your donations are vital to sustain and broaden this program. Our goal is to have Teaching Trunks sent to every state in the United States, and expand our reach internationally.
We are once again enormously fortunate to receive a matching grant from the Crofton Cares Foundation of at least $50,000 (and if we raise more, more will be matched!). Please help, make a pledge, or donate today.
This year, there is the opportunity to name a brand new Teaching Trunk in honor or in memory of a loved one for a donation of $18,000. A plaque will be installed on the trunk for a period of five years, and you will be informed when and where the trunk is traveling. We would welcome the opportunity to have a personal call or meeting with you about this. Please reach out to Maureen Murphy, The Museum’s Director of Development at 610-322-6892 (Cell) or MMurphy@TheFHM.org to inquire.