The Museum’s Bringing the Lessons Home Program introduces Washington, DC, area public high school students to Holocaust history and encourages them to share its lessons with their family, friends, and community.
About the Program
The 14-week program begins in February and ends in June. It is held at the Museum. Participants:
- Study about the Holocaust in Saturday classes
- Learn to serve as a tour guide for the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition
- Earn up to 40 hours of community-service credit
- Become eligible to participate in the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program
Highlights of the program include the Art and Memory project, in which students meet with a Holocaust survivor and then create an artwork inspired by the survivor’s experiences.
Connect
Follow @btlhambassadors on Instagram for updates and reflections from program participants.
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Bringing the Lessons Home Ambassadors explore the Americans and the Holocaust exhibition. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Museum staff lead lead ambassadors through the Museum's permanent exhibition. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Bringing the Lessons Home and Summer Youth Leadership Program Ambassadors work with holocaust survivor museum volunteers on the Art and Memory Project. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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In February 2017, US Representative John Lewis shares his life experiences with the Bringing the Lessons Home Ambassadors, DC-area students, and Museum staff. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Ambassadors help visitors services staff at the Museum as part of their giving back to the community efforts. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Museum staff lead discussions with ambassdaors. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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An ambassador and her classmates watch the virtual reality film For My Son. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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A Bringing the Lessons Home Ambassador takes part in the Museum's 2017 Days of Remembrance ceremony. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Core Principles
The program is founded on two core principles:
- The history and lessons of the Holocaust are relevant to today’s world. By encouraging young people to examine the implications of the Holocaust for their own lives, the program improves their ability to analyze current events that affect their community and the larger world. They also acquire a concrete basis for exploring the nature of indifference, racism, and genocide, as well as their roles as citizens of a democracy.
- Students should be actively engaged in their own education. The program provides a learning environment in which the insights and opinions of young people are taken seriously.
How to Participate
All high school students in grades nine through 12 at DC-area schools are eligible to apply. The program is free. Applications are due in February for the following spring. The online application requires a letter of recommendation from a teacher, school administrator, past program participant, or member of the community, as well as a written or video essay answering questions provided on the application form.
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Bringing the Lessons Home Ambassador graduation. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Families greet the graduates. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Family, friends, and Museum staff attend the BTLH graduation. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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An Ambassador graduate leads a tour of the Museum's permanent exhibition. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Museum staff lead ambassadors through the permanent exhibition. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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An Ambassador graduate leads a tour of the Museum's permanent exhibition. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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An Ambassador graduate leads a tour of the Museum's permanent exhibition. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
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An Ambassador graduate leads a tour of the Museum's permanent exhibition. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum
What Participants Say
“The Bringing the Lessons Home program completely changed my life.... I learned crucial life skills such as communication and public speaking. These skills will stick with me for the rest of my life. Bringing the Lessons Home has also taught me the importance of not being a bystander.”
—Class of 2015 Ambassador, Eastern Senior High School Graduate, Duke University Student
“The Bringing the Lessons Home program has changed my perspective on diversity.... It has given me the tools to interact appropriately with people who have different belief systems and ideals. I was taught in the BTLH program to embrace other cultures and to dispel myths and negative stereotypes.”
—Class of 2011 Ambassador, McKinley Technology High School Graduate, Morehouse College Graduate
