The Holocaust Center is holding a virtual information session for Girl Scout Troop Leaders on Wednesday, January 21st at 11 AM.

Learn more and register.

About

The mission of the Holocaust Education Girl Scout Patch Program 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 and Girl Scouts. Please note that this program is appropriate for Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts (6th-12th grade).

This patch program was created by Pittsburgh Girl Scout Lily Sassani and 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.

Both the patches and the curriculum adhere to specific copyright requirements and may not be altered, reproduced, copied, or modified in any way. These requirements ensure fidelity to the program’s educational intent and compliance with Girl Scout and copyright standards.

Thank you to the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh for generously supporting this program.

Program History

In 2023, Lily Sassani set out to earn her Gold Award, the highest honor in the Girl Scouts, which requires a Girl Scout to design and carry out an independent, sustainable project addressing a real-world issue. Lily focused her project on Holocaust education and, at the suggestion of the LIGHT Education Initiative, asked if the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh (HCP)—both programs of The Tree of Life—would serve as her mentor. The result was this first-of-a-kind Holocaust education patch program that was developed in partnership with the HCP and Lily from Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania (GSWPA) as her Gold Award project.

For more than two years, Lily met weekly with HCP staff members Emily Loeb and Julia Gaetano to envision, design, and develop the Holocaust education patch program. This work followed a rigorous, iterative process that included consultation with subject-matter experts and ongoing guidance from GSWPA. Following this process, the curriculum and patch were approved. A sustainability plan was then developed to ensure the program’s continuation beyond Lily’s participation as a Girl Scout, and GSWPA recommended that HCP assume ownership and copyright of the curriculum and patch in order to manage the program moving forward. The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh awarded funding to support the staff time and resources required for its development.

Launch Event

On December 7, 2025, HCP celebrated the patch program with a public launch event. Watch the recording below.