UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State alumnus will introduce his alma mater’s innovative Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative to the community in Aspen, Colorado, where he lives and owns radio stations, at 5:30 p.m. June 13.
The initiative trains K-12 educators to teach sensitive subjects such as slavery, trauma and the Holocaust. Through this apolitical program, participating teachers gain the pedagogy to provide their students with insight into the human condition and opportunities to develop life skills such as critical thinking, active listening and empathy.
The free public event — “Transforming the Lives of Children Through Effective Instruction of Difficult Topics” — will take place at the Chabad Jewish Community Center, located at 435 W. Main St. in Aspen. RSVPs are requested and may be completed here.
“We started this initiative in Pennsylvania and now we’re expanding nationally,” said the initiative’s founding director, Boaz Dvir. “I welcome the chance to present the Initiative to the Aspen community and discuss our research-based approach to improving the teaching of vital yet often challenging issues. Our approach involves providing school districts and other educational entities with the tools to amplify local values. I very much look forward to sharing that with the Aspen community.”
Jordan Rednor, who earned his Penn State bachelor's degree in 1975, sees a need for this program across the nation. He's a partner in the Roaring Fork Broadcasting Company, which owns Hot 100.5, Thunder 93.5 and Cat Country radio stations in Aspen.
Rednor will moderate the event, which will feature remarks by Marie Hardin — dean of the Donald Pe. Bellisario College of Communications, which houses the educational initiative — as well as the talk by Dvir, a Penn State assistant professor of journalism.
“As a Penn State grad, I was extremely excited to be part of this much-needed educational initiative and have the opportunity to help its journey into schools across the country,” said Rednor, who also serves as chief operating officer for New York- and Los Angeles-based Decoded Advertising, which is part of the Media Monks global agency group.
“The Human Rights Education Initiative is a truly unique program that we are incredibly excited to have brought to life,” Hardin said. “This multidisciplinary initiative recognizes that teachers need help addressing these topics in today’s age of misinformation.”
The Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative is part of the Hammel Family Human Rights Initiative.