Resources for Girl Scout Troop Leaders
The Holocaust education patch program was developed in partnership with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and Lily Sassani from Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania as her Gold Award Project. The mission is to address the injustices of the Holocaust and antisemitism, as well as to empower individuals to build a more humane and respectful society. Girl Scouts are invited to partake in a patch program that will educate them about the Holocaust, its meaning, and the resistance efforts of Girl Guides (Girl Scouts outside of the US), which emphasize the importance of both individualism and unity between all girls and women, regardless of identity.
This program is generously supported by the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh.
The patch program is defined by its connection between the Holocaust and the Girl Guides of history, with the goal of educating participants about the Holocaust and finding honor in the Girl Scouts program. By the end of the program, Girl scouts will understand these core teachings and learn the importance of opposing discrimination, as well as gain the inspiration to channel these teachings into action.
The curriculum for the patch is framed by the Girl Scout’s values of courage, inclusion, and truth. Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania is not responsible if an unprepared troop chooses to pursue this program.
Once your troop has completed all the required components, request your patches here.
Below are a selection of resources available through the Holocaust Center that can be used to fulfill certain components required to earn the patch.
Generations Speakers
Generations Speakers are the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. They have all been recruited, vetted, and coached by the Holocaust Center staff and veteran Generations Speakers to develop presentations about their survivor relative’s story. The Generations Speakers are all extremely passionate about what they do: preserving their family legacy; making sure that future generations hear a factual, well-researched, personal account of a Holocaust survivor; and most importantly, never forget what their parents and/ or grandparents experienced. They offer engaging presentations suitable for middle school students through adult audiences both in person and virtually.
Learn more and request a speaker here.
Reflections: A Butterfly Art Program
Reflections is an educational art and storytelling initiative from the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh (HCP) in which students decorate wooden butterflies in memory of children who were murdered in the Holocaust. In addition to a butterfly, each student receives a biography card that tells the stories of both a child victim and a Holocaust survivor who later rebuilt their life in Pittsburgh. This project aims to honor those who were lost, elevate the voices of those who survived, and foster intergenerational connection through creativity and remembrance. Learn more and apply here!
Field Trips
We are able to accommodate field trip groups of 40 people or less on Fridays at 9am. Our field trips consist of a tour of our exhibit, “Revolving Doors,” a Generations Speaker, and other potential elements, such as a talk on understanding antisemitism. Learn more and fill out our field trip request form. We may be able to accommodate groups larger than 40, as well as field trips on days other than Fridays, upon request. Please email Christina Sahovey directly at csahovey@hcpgh.org.
The Crocus Project
The Crocus Project is a project of Holocaust Education Ireland. The goal of this initiative is to have more than 1.5 million crocuses in bloom, which are planted in memory of the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust and the thousands of other children who were victims of Nazi atrocities.
The yellow flowers recall the stars that Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule. The Crocus Project is a tangible and age-appropriate way to introduce students to the Holocaust. Students and teachers can work together to create a meaningful display of the bulbs, which will come up year after year. When people admire the flowers, students can explain what they represent and recall the children who perished in the Holocaust.
The Crocus Project is implemented in 11 countries across Europe, with almost 200,000 students participating in the program. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is excited to be the first organization to formally bring the project to the United States. Learn more and apply here!
CHUTZ-POW! SUPERHEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST
CHUTZ-POW! SUPERHEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST is an acclaimed and ongoing comic-book series created and published by The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh that seeks, as its mission, to place stories of UpStanders’ courage, resilience, and sacrifice at the forefront of Holocaust awareness. Each volume is an anthology by award-winning creative collaborators, telling true-life stories of heroic survivors who brought light into some of the darkest recesses of World War II.
Created for both general and scholastic audiences ages 12 and up, CHUTZ-POW! unravels the larger narrative of the Holocaust with thematic volumes that explore the documented micro-histories of its profiled subjects. With vivid, historically-accurate art and stirring fact-based writing, these are stories that defy the expectations of conventional superhero comic books. Learn more here!
Request Patches
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