Toronto (December 6, 2021) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) and Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation are thrilled to announce a new partnership, with the shared goal of developing citizenship education resources for Ontario schools.

These resources will support teachers in realistically and effectively engaging their students, in all grades, in understanding their rights and their responsibilities, and to help them become critical-thinking and participatory citizens committed to a Canada that rejects racism and bigotry.  

The partnership comes after the success of Concentus’s citizenship education resources aligned to Saskatchewan’s curriculum.

Heather Fenyes, Concentus’s Board Chair, describes the partnership as a wonderful fit. “Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies and Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation share so many fundamentals,” said Fenyes. “Both are human rights organizations committed to countering racism and bigotry and to promoting the principles of inclusion, social justice and Canadian democratic values through education.”

Recently appointed Senator David Arnot was one of the co-founders of Concentus. He is very pleased to see this expansion of the resources to Ontario. “The classroom is the most important place to combat racism and bigotry,” said Senator Arnot “The long-term antidote to hate is the development of critical thinking, empathy and engagement in Canada’s youth. Effective citizenship education allows the discovery, exploration, development and refinement of these essential qualities.” 

“Following the incredible success of Concentus’s education resources in Saskatchewan, we at FSWC are thrilled to be partnering with the Foundation to further advance citizenship education resources and deliver them to teachers in Ontario, as part of our shared objectives to empower young Canadians to be citizens who stand up for democratic rights and freedoms, who recognize their own responsibilities and who are changemakers, combatting hate and discrimination in their communities,” said Michael Levitt, President and CEO of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.

About Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation:

Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation Inc. is the foundation that administers, supports, and fundraises for the development and advancement of the Concentus classroom-ready, kindergarten to grade 12 teaching resources for citizenship. The declared purpose of the Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation is to educate and empower individuals to understand their rights; encourage responsible, respectful, and participatory citizenship; and promote a commitment to justice in a pluralistic society.

About Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center:

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) is a non-profit human rights organization committed to countering racism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance, social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy and education.

Actively engaged in fostering the values of respect and acceptance, and in teaching the responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society, we are guided by the words of Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal: “Freedom is not a gift from heaven. One must fight for it every day.” FSWC’s philosophy is reflected in its many engaging educational programs.