Letter to Parents and Guardians (UK)

Dear parents and guardians,

It is my pleasure to welcome you as your child embarks on a Facing History & Ourselves unit of study. Facing History is an international educational and professional development organisation with over forty years of experience. For more information, please visit our website, www.facinghistory.org.

Facing History is committed to helping students make the essential connections between history and the moral choices they face as adolescents. We know that students are grappling with key questions such as: Who am I? How do I fit into my community as well as the larger world? How can I make a difference? All of these questions will be explored by looking deeply at a historical moment when individuals made decisions about their own lives and the lives of their neighbours. Your child will begin his or her Facing History journey by examining issues of identity and community. This introduction prepares them for a study of the events that led up to the Holocaust. Years of research have shown that a study of this history helps students understand how their decisions influence others and strengthens their ability to take multiple perspectives and consider the ethical implications of their choices.

In the creation of this material, you can be assured that great care has been taken to consider the age appropriateness of the content and the pedagogical tools teachers will need to ensure that adequate time is given for discussion and reflection. Facing History provides ongoing support for educators who are implementing the curriculum. We hope that your child’s participation in this unit invites many meaningful conversations between you and him or her. A parent of a past Facing History student sums it up best:

In no other course was [my daughter] exposed to real dilemmas as complex and challenging [as in the Facing History class]. In no other course has she been inspired to use the whole of her spiritual, moral, and intellectual resources to solve a problem. In no other course has she been so sure that the materials mattered so seriously for her development as a responsible person.

Sincerely,

Abby Weiss
Smith Family Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer
Facing History & Ourselves