The Jan Karski Educational Foundation keeps making an impact on Social Studies teachers – for the seventh time, our organization was represented at the Florida Council for the Social Studies Conference that took place on October 13-15 in Orlando, FL. This annual conference gathers teachers, scholars, educators, and students – soon-to-be teachers – for a three-day meeting filled with lectures and presentations on all topics related to Social Studies and provides an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and educational resources.
The JKEF table with educational materials about Jan Karski was visited by dozens of participants eager to explore innovative teaching tools. That is why the graphic novel Karski’s Mission: To Stop the Holocaust (Jan Karski Educational Foundation, 2015) attracted many of them. The story of the Polish Underground courier astounded, moved, and inspired all, including those who do not teach U.S. History or the Holocaust. All visitors received a JKEF brochure and a list of resources.
Teachers also had an opportunity to learn more about Karski during the presentation by JKEF’s Director of Programming, Bożena U. Zaremba, entitled “Did a Holocaust Witness Make a Difference? Can His Story Make a Difference Now?” The presentation focused on Karski’s life, his mission during WWII, and his life in the U.S. after the war, and discussed what impact his work had during his times and the resonance of his legacy in our world today.
JKEF's Bożena U. Zaremba at the Foundation's booth (Photo: Courtesy of Bożena U. Zaremba
Thanks to the generous financial support of Michael Hutchison, Richard Cohen, and Carole Bilina, the Foundation gifted the teachers who committed to presenting Karski in their classroom with free classroom sets of the graphic novel. The Foundation also donated a copy of the graphic novel, Karski’s wartime memoir Story of a Secret State (Georgetown University Press, 2013), and the script of the critically acclaimed theatrical production Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski (Georgetown University Press, 2021) as door prizes in a drawing for all conference participants.
We thank the organizers for another superb event and look forward to an opportunity to inspire teachers at the next year’s conference.
