UpStanders - Holocaust Education and Bullying Prevention Initiative
The UpStanders Program is a bullying prevention initiative of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center. Rooted in Holocaust Education, the UpStanders Program challenges students to study one of the world’s paramount examples of prejudice in order to understand the role each of us plays in shaping a better future.
The UpStanders program demonstrates the importance of standing up and speaking out when students witness bullying through stories of Holocaust Rescuers. A “rescuer” is an individual who did everything in their power to save the lives of those being persecuted during the Holocaust. The UpStanders Program teaches students how to safely and effectively support their peers who are being mistreated. Once students understand the importance of being UpStanders rather than bystanders, they have the knowledge they need to make their school a safe and respectful place.
Program lessons align with Florida Standards in 6th grade social studies and language arts, as well as 7th grade civics and language arts. Since its inception in 2010, the UpStanders Program has been provided to more than 25,000 students in 68 schools, located in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Brevard counties.
