SHS teacher Tara Seger (2nd from left) following the award presentation with (from left) GenEd RI Branch co-chairs Esther Kalajian and Pauline Getzoyan and SHS Principal Michael Hassell
SCITUATE, R.I.—On Thursday, April 27, Scituate High School (SHS) teacher Tara Seger was awarded the 2023 Rhode Island Genocide Educator of the Year. She was nominated for the award by Rhode Island educators and was selected as this year’s recipient by the Genocide Education Project’s Rhode Island branch co-chairs Pauline Getzoyan and Esther Kalajian. Getzoyan and Kalajian presented the award to Seger in her classroom in front of her students, several SHS administrators and faculty members, as well as members of her immediate family.
“I feel so honored to have received this award,” said Seger. “My goal is to provide students with the resources and knowledge to become informed and active citizens and empower them to make a positive impact in the world.”
Tara Seger graciously accepting her award in front of her students as Pauline Getzoyan and Esther Kalajian look on
Seger has been a teacher at SHS for more than 15 years. She currently teaches Modern World History, Current Middle East Conflicts, US History II and US History II Honors. She has spent 16 years researching the Middle East and is also the author of Refugee Realities: Voices from the Middle East. Seger has personally interviewed dozens of refugees from conflict zones and the Middle East. She has also studied at Yad Vashem, the world-renowned Holocaust Museum in Israel, and completed research in the West Bank, Nazareth, Tiberius, Caesarea and Tel Aviv.
“Tara is an incredible teacher and is so deserving of this award,” said SHS principal Michael Hassell. “She has dedicated her time to helping students learn, grow and understand multicultural and global perspectives.”
Seger began including the Armenian Genocide in her curriculum as she incorporated the stages of genocide and felt the importance of explaining the genesis of genocidal acts. This led to teaching the Armenian case as a stand-alone unit and inviting speakers with firsthand knowledge of events through their ancestors to share their stories with her classes. Getzoyan was one of those speakers.
Tara Seger proudly displaying her award with her US History II honors students and their work
“I’m passionate about teaching my students facts,” shared Seger. “I want them to learn how to speak with cultural sensitivity.”
This devotion to cultural sensitivity was one of the guiding principles of her book. “I also wanted to give back because the refugees were so wonderful when they spoke to my classes, and my students learned so much,” shared Seger. This desire to help and her genuine empathy for refugees has led Seger to contribute monthly to Americans Helping Others ProspEr (A Hope RI) from the income generated by Refugee Realities.
Seger’s father Gerald “Jerry” Schiano, Jr. was her “biggest supporter” in her work with refugees and as an educator. He is the one who shared A Hope RI with her which led to her connection to refugees from Afghanistan. Schiano very sadly recently passed away; Seger said that he would have been thrilled with her award. She shared that he would have been especially happy to see that Getzoyan had Refugee Realities with her as she and Kalajian presented the award.
Scituate Superintendent Laurie Andries, award recipient Tara Seger and GenEd RI Branch co-chairs Esther Kalajian and Pauline Getzoyan
The Rhode Island Genocide Educator of the Year is presented by the RI branch of The Genocide Education Project, which is based out of San Francisco, California. The organization was established to broaden the general understanding of genocide, with a focus on the Armenian Genocide.
“GenEd’s mission is to assist educators in teaching about human rights and genocide,” said Getzoyan. “GenEd assists educators by developing and distributing instructional materials, providing access to teaching resources and organizing educational workshops, as well as its Teacher Fellowship program.”
Tara Seger, her proud husband Daniel (right) and sons (left to right) Gavin and Owen