FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 4, 2007
Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region
122 W. 27th St. Flr 12, NY, NY 10001
Contact: Karine Birazian
Tel: 917-428-1918
TEACHERS EDUCATED ON GENOCIDE AT 87TH ANNUAL NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR
THE SOCIAL STUDIES CONFERENCE
San Diego, CA- In an effort to promote genocide education and
awareness, ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director Karine Birazian,
Anastasia Skoupas, a member of the Pontian Greek Society of Chicago,
and Ron Levitsky an educator at Sunset Ridge School in Northfield, IL
presented at the 87th Annual National Council for the Social Studies
(NCSS) conference which took place November 29th to December 2nd at
the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
The lecture entitled Death, Despair, and Denial: The Armenian and
Pontian Greek Genocides attracted educators from all over the
United States including Illinois, Virginia, Tennessee, and South
Carolina. For 60 minutes, Birazian and Skoupas discussed the
Armenian and Pontian Greek Genocides, incorporating these teachings
into lesson plans. Touching upon the history as well as the
current struggles with denial and underlying politics, the lecture
proved to be quite valuable for those in attendance. Levitsky, who
was also present at the workshop, discussed with teachers various
resources available for teaching this subject including those from
The Choices Program, Facing History and Ourselves, and the Genocide
Education Project.
"It was such a great experience to present at this years NCSS
conference," commented Birazian. "Given the recent increase of
interest and awareness of this horrific topic, educators are
incorporating this information in their classrooms and working to
make a difference." Birazian, who is also part of the Genocide
Education Network of Illinois, an organization developed in
conjunction with a mandate in Illinois on the teaching of genocide,
has been active in educating teachers and students about the
Armenian genocide and ending the cycle of genocide for nearly a
decade.
The morning of the lecture, in the "Our Region" section of the
daily San Diego Union Tribune newspaper, an article entitled
Educators Across the Country are Increasingly Addressing Genocide
commented: "Genocide is a hot topic in local classrooms. Educators
nationwide are giving it more attention, as evidenced by the
schedule for this weekend’s annual conference of the National
Council for the Social Studies in downtown San Diego." The article
went on to discuss the various workshops specific to genocide
education, including the one presented by Birazian and Skoupas, as
well as quoting Sara Cohan, education director for the Genocide
Education Project.
Founded in 1921, the NCSS has grown to be the largest association
in the country–devoted entirely to social studies education. The
NCSS engages and supports "educators in strengthening and
advocating social studies."
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest
and most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.
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Photo Caption:
Left to Right: Ron Levitsky, Karine Birazian, and Anastasia
Skoupas at the 87th Annual NCSS Conference
Karine Birazian
Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region Executive Director
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
