Next Step: Leading Teacher Workshops at Home
Fifteen U.S. high school teachers have returned from their professional development trip to Armenia and have begun planning and leading their own professional development workshops for other teachers in their states. Their feedback about the GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program in Armenia was overwhelming positive:
“Everything about this week has been incredible!” said Tara Devay, Batavia, NY.
“I’ve done many of these programs. This one, hands down, is honestly the most well-organized,” said Heidi Omlor, Ellsworth, ME.
“This entire process is causing me to rethink how I approach teaching about Armenia,” said Chris Dier, New Orleans, LA.
“It just showed me the responsibility that I have to teach the Armenian Genocide,” said Heather Land, Mesa, AZ.
“It’s about preserving this history for our whole human story,” said Meredith Baldi, Newtown, PA.
“I honestly feel like this is one of, if not the best and most informative programs I have participated in as a teacher,” said Jessica Harbour, Lonoke, AK.
“I learned so much here and I am definitely going to apply it,” said Marie Esmerian-Dessipris, Bloomfield, NJ.
The 2024 GenEd Teacher Fellows teach in 15 different U.S. states. Since the program began in 2022, there are now 45 GenEd Teacher Fellows, covering 32 different U.S. states. Several states now have multiple Fellows.
During their July trip to Armenia, the Fellows spent most mornings in academic and workshop sessions at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, learning from its in-depth exhibits, archives, artifacts, and scholars studying the Armenian Genocide and its continuing effects. They also spent a day at the American University of Armenia learning about today’s Armenia and human rights education at the university. Afternoons were spent on field trips aligned with the academic content.
This year’s GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program attracted news coverage, including a Civilnet article and video interview, Armenpress, Arma TV, among others. Back in the U.S., GenEd Teacher Fellow Tara Devay was highlighted in New York’s Livingston County News, and Rhode Island’s Tara Seger was covered in The Valley Breeze.
The GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program is made possible only through the generous support of individual donors and non-profit foundations
