Winnipeg Free Press: Local teacher plans Holocaust education tour
In 2021 Hiebert was honoured with both the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Manitoba Excellence in Education Award, and in 2023 was named a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Among other achievements, those accolades recognized the way in which the Westwood Collegiate history teacher and founder of the Westwood Historical Society inspires his students to delve into, understand, and learn from historic events, including the Holocaust, and use those lessons to commit to making the world a better place.
While the provincial government only recently mandated Holocaust education in all schools, Hiebert has been teaching about the systematic state-sponsored persecution of European Jews since he first stepped into a Westwood classroom 16 years ago. He has enlightened hundreds of students about the events and climate that led to the Holocaust, and encouraged thoughtful discussion and debate about other atrocities and the need to speak up about human rights abuses. His commitment to experiential learning opportunities has seen him facilitate the making of a poignant student documentary film about the rise of hate, and lead a group of students on a tour of Holocaust memorial sites in Europe.
Now he is offering a similar opportunity to Manitoba educators.
That opportunity is the Holocaust Education Teachers Training Program scheduled to take place in July 2025.