Below is information about our 2024 9th-11th Grade Student Leadership Day.
Our intensive Student Leadership Day programming engages students in 9th-11th grades with captivating, world-class Upstander speakers, interactive programs, and the opportunity to create an action plan to take back to their school. Student Leadership Day inspires the change-makers to build leadership skills, explore their roles as citizens, and develop a deeper understanding of the Holocaust, genocide, and other human rights issues. Students return to their communities with the tools and drive to promote acceptance and understanding.
We invite you to nominate up to ten of your 9th – 11th grade students to participate in this powerful day. The goal of Student Leadership Day is to increase awareness about the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights, and to help participants think about lessons we can learn from the past. Participating students will develop and carry out an action plan to address a social justice issue in their school, community, or the wider world. This year’s program will particularly highlight the Museum’s newest core exhibition, Spagat Family Voices of Genocide.
Dates & Times
Choose between two dates/times:
Wednesday, December 11, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Illinois Holocaust Museum, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077
Thursday, December 12, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Illinois Holocaust Museum, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077
Keynote Speaker
Kizito D. Kalima
Founder and Executive Director of the Peace Center for Forgiveness & Reconciliation and Survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
Kizito D. Kalima was born in 1979 in Nyanza, Rwanda, the youngest of ten children. As Tutsis were stereotyped to be taller than Hutus, Kizito’s height (6’9”) was the subject of considerable racist mockery among his Hutu classmates.
The Genocide against the Tutsi began on April 7, 1994. The Kalimas were separated, and many in the family – including both of Kizito’s parents – were killed. After surviving a massacre in which he was hacked with a machete and left for dead, Kizito managed to survive the genocide with a few of his relatives by hiding in swampland until being liberated by the Rwandan Patriotic Front in late July 1994.
Displaced by the genocide and without knowledge of surviving family members, Kizito found refuge in sports. He played basketball in surrounding African countries, and a basketball tournament in 1998 gave him the opportunity to travel to the United States, where he would remain to attend high school and college.
Kizito is the Founder and Executive Director of the Peace Center for Forgiveness & Reconciliation, an active public speaker, and an advocate for genocide survivors. Henow lives in Indianapolis with his daughter and has two adopted Rwandan daughters, themselves genocide survivors. His story is represented in the Spagat Family Voices of Genocide Exhibition at Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.
NOMINATION GUIDELINES
NEW FOR 2024: Nominations are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning October 1 until space is filled. If capacity has not been reached, the nomination deadline will be Thursday, November 21 at 5:00 pm CT. You will be notified of your nomination status via email as soon as possible.
- A maximum of 10 students per school are permitted. Please consult with your colleagues before submitting your nomination letter.
- A teacher or administrator must participate in the program along with their students. Limit 2 teachers/chaperones per school.
- Students should be willing to actively participate in discussion and activities, meet new people and become student ambassadors for the Illinois Holocaust Museum in their schools and broader communities.
- Students in grades 9-11 in accredited schools or homeschools are eligible to participate.
- Students should have a sincere interest in enhancing their knowledge of the Holocaust, genocide, and/or human rights issues.
- Students should have shown an interest in leadership at school or in their communities or have shown an interest in creating social awareness. Schools are particularly encouraged to nominate students who are not yet leaders in their schools, but who have the potential to be. Suggested nomination criteria available by request.
- Students must participate in the entire program until 2:30 pm.
You will be notified of your nomination status via email within 48 hours of the close of the nomination period. Additional details and links will be provided at that time. Participating schools will be invited to apply for a “seed money” grant to help fund materials needed to carry out their action plan. Application guidelines will be provided to participating schools in early December.
Presenting Sponsor of Student Leadership Days:
Education Services: Bank of America; The Bill Bass Foundation; Charles and M.R. Shapiro Foundation; David P. Brody Charitable Trust; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; Leah Gutman Education Fund; McGraw Foundation; PNC
Endowment: Barney and Anita Sidler Education Endowment; Congregation B’nai Sholom; The Harvey L. Miller Family Foundation Program Endowment Fund; The Mayor Richard M. and Maggie C. Daley Education Fund; Moselle Mintz Schwartz Education Fund; Teachers Educational Endowment Fund
Photo credits: Danyel Duncan; Kathleen Hinkel