Facing History and Ourselves

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Online Seminars: FAQs


    Introduction | How It Works | Pricing, Dates & Sign Up | FAQs

    Online Seminar Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

    1. How do I apply for an online seminar or workshop?
    2. How do I know if my application was received?
    3. What is the cost of the seminar?
    4. Is financial aid available to cover the Facing History participation fee?
    5. How do I pay for the seminar?
    6. What is the refund policy for the online seminar?
    7. Can I earn graduate credits for the online seminar?
    8. Is Lesley University accredited?
    9. What is the cost for the graduate option? Is there financial aid or scholarship money available?
    10. Are there additional requirements for graduate credit participants?
    11. Is professional development credit available?
    12. Who is eligible to participate in the seminar?
    13. How does the online seminar work?
    14. How do I begin the seminar?
    15. What days/times do I need to be online?
    16. What are the computer requirements for the seminar? What technical skills do I need?
    17. Do I need to buy books for the online seminar?
    18. Who are the facilitators?
    19. What does a Program Associate do? What is follow-up?
    20. What are the benefits of attending a professional development event with Facing History and Ourselves?

    1. How do I apply for an online seminar or workshop?
      Please note: Our online seminars are getting a facelift! We are currently revamping our online seminar technology. For this reason, we will not be holding online seminars this coming Winter/Spring, 2010. We WILL be returning to our regular schedule of seminars beginning this fall, 2010. Thank you for your patience! Click on the seminar or workshop listed below to submit an online application.
      Online04/07/2010Civic Dilemmas: Religion, Migration, and BelongingOnline Workshop

    2. How do I know if my application was received?
      After submitting an application for the online seminar, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from info@facing.org. Once Facing History staff has reviewed your application, you will receive an e-mail from Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka (Tanya_Lubicz-Nawrocka@facing.org) notifying you of the decision. This usually takes between 2-3 business days. If you have any questions regarding the status of your application, please do not hesitate to contact Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka at Tanya_Lubicz-Nawrocka@facing.org or by phone at 617-735-1643.

    3. What is the cost of the seminar?
      There is a $325 tuition fee for the Facing History and Ourselves Holocaust and Human Behavior online seminar. Please note there is an additional fee for graduate credits (see below).

    4. Is financial aid available to cover the Facing History participation fee?
      There are limited funds available. Partial or full scholarships will be awarded to recipients on the basis of financial need, as well as the ability and commitment to implementing Facing History and Ourselves content and methods in your classroom the same school year that the course is taken. Scholarships will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, please contact Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka at Tanya_Lubicz-Nawrocka@facing.org or by phone at 617-735-1643. To apply, please respond to the scholarship question on the seminar application.

    5. How do I pay for the seminar?
      Facing History and Ourselves accepts payment by credit card or check, from individuals or organizations. Once your application to the seminar has been accepted, you will be sent a link to the online payment form. Payment must be received in order for you to be officially enrolled and receive materials. If you require alternate arrangements for payment, please contact Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka at Tanya_Lubicz-Nawrocka@facing.org or by phone at 617-735-1643.

    6. What is the refund policy for the online seminar?
      If you notify Facing History and Ourselves in writing or through e-mail by the start of the seminar, indicating you would like to withdraw from the seminar, the amount remitted, less $50, will be returned to the source of the original payment. There will be no refund for those participants who withdraw after the start of the seminar.

    7. Can I earn graduate credits for the online seminar?
      Yes. As an option for our seminar participants--and at an additional cost--we offer three graduate credits for successful completion of this seminar. The credits are awarded through either Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, or through Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies. Please note that there is an additional charge for graduate credits (see below). For additional questions about Lesley University or Northeastern University and the graduate credit option, please review the questions below, or contact Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka (Tanya_Lubicz-Nawrocka@facing.org), and not Lesley University. (Please note: graduate credits are currently available only to teachers in North America.)

    8. Is Lesley University and Northeastern University accredited institutions?
      Absolutely. Facing History awards graduate credits for the online seminar through the School of Continuing Education at Lesley University. Facing History awards graduate credit for the online seminar through the Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies. Both Northeastern and Lesley University are accredited through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

    9. What is the cost for the graduate option? Is there financial aid or scholarship money available?
      Lesley: There is an additional $480 fee ($150/credit + $50 registration fee) for participants electing to earn graduate credits. This payment goes directly to Lesley University and is separate from the $325 Facing History and Ourselves participation fee. Therefore, the total fee for participants seeking 3 graduate credits through Lesley University is $805.

      Northeastern: There is an additional $400 fee for participants electing to earn graduate credits. This payment goes directly to Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies and is separate from the $325 Facing History and Ourselves participation fee. Therefore, the total fee for participants seeking 3 graduate credits through Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies is $725.

      Please note that Facing History and Ourselves is unable to offer scholarship assistance for the additional cost of the graduate payment.

    10. Are there additional requirements for graduate credit participants?
      Yes. There are several additional requirements:
      • Reading our resource book, Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior in its entirety.
      • Participating fully in all online discussions and approximately 5 conference calls spaced throughout the seminar.
      • Completing an additional final assignment. The assignment entails creating a complete curriculum unit implementing a full Facing History and Ourselves "scope and sequence." Typically, a full scope and sequence unit ranges between four and eight weeks in length. Participants electing to take the seminar for graduate credit will have two weeks beyond the end of the seminar to submit the curriculum unit. If you choose to take the seminar for graduate credit, you will receive more information concerning the final assignment upon registration. In addition, your seminar facilitator will be available to assist you throughout the seminar.

    11. Is professional development credit available?
      Many participants are also able to receive professional development credits for the seminar. By applying for the seminar, you have agreed and committed to complete approximately four hours of work each session. Thus, we issue a certificate upon successful completion for 32 hours of coursework. Although we are happy to assist you in any way we can, please note that each participant is responsible for working out the professional development credit logistics with his/her school or district, as we work with teachers all over the world.

    12. Who is eligible to participate in the seminar?
      The Holocaust and Human Behavior online seminar is designed for middle and high school teachers. The course places a considerable emphasis on pedagogy and classroom implementation. Most participants are 6-12th grade social studies or English/language arts teachers, although we have had post-secondary educators take the course with great success. Our materials and pedagogy are based on certain adolescent development markers around perspective taking and critical thinking skills that are not fully developed in younger students. While we welcome elementary school teachers to apply, we want to ensure there is a realistic expectation about what they will gain from the seminar. Decisions about K-6 teachers are made on a case-by-case basis. If you have additional questions, please contact Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka at Tanya_Lubicz-Nawrocka@facing.org or by phone at 617-735-1643.

    13. How does the online seminar work?
      The Facing History and Ourselves Holocaust and Human Behavior online seminar is divided into eight 1-week sessions, each beginning on a Thursday and ending the following Wednesday. For each session, participants will engage in a variety of activities that will include reading materials, viewing video clips, and creating journal entries. Much of the important work of the course takes place in the facilitated online discussion forums. Participants are expected to complete approximately four hours of work each week at their own pace. While participants are free to work at their own pace within each session, we encourage all participants to check in on the discussion as early in the session as possible, and return to it repeatedly throughout the week. To see some sample screen shots from the seminar, click here.

    14. How do I begin the seminar?
      On the Wednesday evening before the start of the seminar, you will receive an e-mail from the seminar facilitator. The e-mail will give you the web address for the seminar, your user name and password, as well as other instructions. Your facilitator may also contact you by phone during the first week of the seminar.

    15. What days/times do I need to be online?
      You do NOT need to be online at any specific times. The seminar is asynchronous, meaning that the work can be done at any time. There are, however, two mandatory conference calls. The first call is with your seminar facilitator, and the second is with a Holocaust survivor. Graduate credit participants will have additional conference calls. Please contact Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka (Tanya_Lubicz-Nawrocka@facing.org) for more information about specific dates.

    16. What are the computer requirements for the seminar? What technical skills do I need?
      We recommend that participants use a computer with a high-speed internet connection, and preferably one that is audio and video capable. However, the seminar will still function with a low-speed internet connection. Besides that, there are no technical skills required beyond the ability to navigate on the web.

    17. Do I need to buy books for the online seminar?
      No. The supplies for the seminar, including a copy of our Holocaust and Human Behavior resource book, are included in the seminar participation fee. Once we have received payment, the seminar materials will be shipped to you. Please note that someone will need to be available to sign for the materials upon receipt.

    18. Who are the facilitators?
      Many of our online course facilitators are members of the Facing History and Ourselves National Program Staff. We also have facilitators who are members of Facing History’s National Teacher Leadership Team. All facilitators are experienced, skilled educators, combining years of classroom experience with an in-depth knowledge of Facing History's content and methods.

    19. What does a Program Associate do? What is follow-up?
      Facing History and Ourselves takes a unique approach to professional development, by extending our work together with teachers beyond the seminar experience. Our goal is for this seminar to be only the beginning of a long relationship between you and Facing History. As such, Program Associates work directly with teachers and schools, offering free individualized assistance to help implement Facing History content and methods in your classrooms. Program Associates are available to assist with curriculum planning, suggest resources, and provide classroom support for teachers. During the online seminar, you will be introduced to your Program Associate, who will be available to you for follow-up at the end of the course.

    20. What are the benefits of attending a professional development event with Facing History and Ourselves?
      Attending a professional development event, such as the online seminar, is only the beginning of your relationship with Facing History and Ourselves. For more than 30 years, we have been committed to providing educators with ongoing support to ensure that they continue to be successful in implementing Facing History and motivating their students to learn. Upon completion of one of our professional development seminars and certain qualifying workshops, you will receive:
      • Complete access to Facing History’s online educator resources, including timely and relevant lesson plans, study guides, connections, readings, and resource materials developed by Facing History and Ourselves.
      • Borrowing privileges from Facing History’s extensive lending library of videos, DVDs, and books. (Please note: this privilege is currently extended only to teachers in North America.)
      • Access to our regional speakers’ bureaus that include survivors of genocide, community activists, artists, and scholars whom educators can bring to their classrooms.
      • One-on-one assistance from a Facing History Program Associate, who is available for individual consultations on curriculum planning and classroom concerns.
      • Invitations to special events such as Choosing to Participate, a traveling multi-media exhibition that develops awareness of democracy, and conferences co-sponsored by major academic universities.