National Holodomor Curriculum Initiative Launched in Partnership with Critical Thinking Consortium (TC²)

HREC Education is proud to announce the completion of a landmark three-year curriculum development initiative undertaken in partnership with The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC²), one of Canada’s leading educational organizations recognized for its evidence-based approach to critical and historical thinking.

Through this collaboration, HREC Education commissioned TC² to develop two comprehensive, multidisciplinary units of study on the Holodomor as a human rights atrocity and genocide. Designed for Grades 6–9 and Grades 10–12, these inquiry-driven resources strengthen classroom teaching while broadening access to expert scholarship and deepening student understanding within a human rights framework.

This major initiative was made possible through the generous designated legacy of Mr. Eugene Yakovitch, whose support HREC Education gratefully acknowledges. HREC also recognizes the contributions of Warren Woytuck, Director of TC², and Atul Bahl, educator and consultant, whose expertise was integral to the development of the units. Valentina Kuryliw, HREC Director of Education, and Associate Director Sophia Isajiw provided consulting and editorial leadership, with Isajiw contributing substantial research support to the project. HREC Education also wishes to thank Dr. Larysa Bilous in the CIUS office for her aid with some difficult translations.

The resulting materials equip educators and students with the tools to examine the Holodomor through critical inquiry and historical thinking:

• Grades 6–9 Unit (3 lessons): Students explore the causes of human rights atrocities, the lived experiences of individuals and communities during the 1932–1933 Holodomor in Ukraine, and connections between historical injustices and contemporary events.
• Grades 10–12 Unit (7 lessons): Students investigate the causes and consequences of the Holodomor; its impact on families and communities; its relevance in Canada; the historical evidence supporting recognition of the Holodomor as genocide; patterns of denial; and connections to ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Both units include curated collections of primary and secondary source documents, teacher background notes, structured student tasks, assessment tools, image sets, and activity sheets. Lessons may be used independently or as complete units.

An additional collection, History Docs: The Holodomor, provides flexible access to sources for stand-alone study or thematic exploration of causes, events, and impacts.

Beyond resource development, TC² is partnering with HREC Education to deliver professional learning that strengthens educator confidence and instructional capacity, alongside communications initiatives to increase awareness of the Holodomor among educators and learners.

The units are hosted on the TC² online platform, making them accessible to more than 60,000 educators across Canada, and with additional international reach.

“This initiative represents a significant step forward in advancing rigorous, inquiry-based teaching about the Holodomor,” Isajiw stated. “By equipping educators with high-quality, classroom-ready resources grounded in historical evidence and human rights education, we are strengthening understanding, combating denial, and ensuring that this history is meaningfully taught to future generations.”

For more information contact: hreced@ualberta.ca