Wednesday, December 3, 2025
5:00- 7:30pm
Location: Childsplay Campus for Imagination and Wonder
Price: Free
Register for Professional Development
Join us for a free professional development workshop for educators strengthening Holocaust instruction for grades 6 to 8.
Developed and co-facilitated by educators from Childsplay Theatre, the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, and the Phoenix Holocaust Association, the session explores the 1939 voyage of the MS St. Louis as a focal point for accurate, age-appropriate instruction. Together we will examine the events leading up to the voyage, analyze primary sources, and practice drama-integrated strategies you can use right away to help students engage thoughtfully with the material.
Designed for grades 6 to 8 educators teaching history, civics, current events, or any educator who teaches content in the Holocaust and genocide requirement.
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Location: Childsplay Campus of Imagination and Wonder
900 S. Mitchell Dr., Tempe, AZ 85281
Refreshments and Snacks will be provided.
In-person, interactive. Light movement involved. No theatre background required.
This workshop is grant-supported and free to participants.
Capacity: Limited to 50 participants.
How to register: Complete the short online RSVP form.
Contact for questions: CEducation@childsplayaz.org • 480-921-5745
Register for Professional Development
We have a limited number of opportunities to bring this professional learning to school sites at no cost for a teaching team. If your school would like to host, contact Katie Brantley at kbrantley@childsplayaz.org.
In May 1939, the German ocean liner MS St. Louis sailed from Hamburg to Havana with 937 passengers, the vast majority Jewish refugees who had applied for U.S. visas and purchased Cuban entry documents. After the ship departed, Cuba invalidated most of those documents. Only 28 passengers were allowed to disembark; the rest were ordered to remain on board as appeals to the United States and Canada were denied. Captain Gustav Schröder insisted his crew treat passengers with dignity and worked to find safe harbor; he is recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. Ultimately, Great Britain accepted 288 passengers, and the remainder disembarked in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, where many later faced Nazi occupation and some were murdered during the Holocaust. This case invites students to examine policy, prejudice, and moral decision-making through the events of the MS St. Louis.
No Going Back is Childsplay’s new in-school performance that opens doors for vital conversations about history, personal responsibility, and the importance of being an upstander. Set aboard the MS St. Louis, the play is a great opportunity for students to engage with this material. Learn More
This workshop is developed and facilitated in collaboration with the Arizona Jewish Historical Society and the Phoenix Holocaust Association. History educators from these organizations ensure historical accuracy and best practice in teaching sensitive content.
The Professional Development: "Strengthening Holocaust Instruction with the MS St. Louis" was made possible by Arizona Humanities. 
