The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine has scheduled professional development summer seminars for August.

The seminars are free and open to teachers, administrators, and anyone interested in learning about the Holocaust or anti-bias work. They will be conducted on Zoom and both offer 12 credit hours, according to a news release from the Augusta-based center.

• Anti-Bias Teacher Training Summer Seminar 2022: Aug. 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 9-11 a.m.

This seminar explores bias-based behavior and harassment, as well as ways to make classrooms and schools safer and more respectful for all students. The nature of bias, the importance of confronting hate symbols and responding to hate incidents, and facilitating contentious conversations will be covered.

Colleagues actively engaged in anti-bias work will join in from the ADL, Maine Civil Rights Team Project, the Department of Justice Community Relations Service, the University of Maine, anti-bias organizations, and Maine schools. This seminar has been developed with educators, administrators, other school staff, pre-service teachers, and in-school volunteers in mind.

• Teaching the Holocaust Summer Seminar 2022: Aug. 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 1-3 p.m.

The seminar will cover a wide variety of topics to help teachers understand not just the events of the Holocaust, but the wider context that allowed it to happen. The seminar will include sessions on antisemitism, the rise of the Nazis, and the Holocaust itself. There will be a session exploring the use of literature and poetry as a means of teaching.

The Jewish Partisan Education Federation from San Francisco will lead a presentation and discussion on Jewish resistance. Other guest speakers will lead sessions on Jewish life before the war and ways in which people can commemorate and remember. There will be a special session to look at resources and lesson plans that are available for teachers at all grade levels.

The Team Leader of the MDOE’s Holocaust and Genocide History MOOSE project will introduce the online learning modules created for teachers and students from grades pre-K through grade 12.

Participants can receive 12 continuing education credits upon completion of the seminar.

To register, visit hhrcmaine.org.