Luke Elementary Teacher Selected as a 2025 Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow

Kyl Rucker, a 7th and 8th Grade Social Studies teacher from Luke Elementary School, was among only 13 educators nationwide chosen by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to participate in the 2025-2026 Museum Teacher Fellowship Program.  Mr. Rucker was selected for his knowledge of Holocaust history, successful teaching experience, and participation in community and professional organizations and events.

Over the summer, Mr. Rucker participated in the Pines, Sarna, Statfeld Summer Institute for the Museum Teacher Fellowship Program, held at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.  As part of his fellowship, he will now implement a professional development event for educators in his community and share the Museum’s free educational resources.

“Being part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellowship was an incredibly meaningful experience,” said Mr. Rucker. “I didn’t just learn more about the history of the Holocaust, I learned how to teach it in a way that honors the voices of survivors and encourages students to think deeply about the choices people made during that time.”  

But his experience won’t stop there.  Mr. Rucker plans on implementing what he learned to help his students think critically about history.  “One strategy I’ll be using in my classroom is the Holocaust Timeline activity, which helps students see how events unfolded gradually and how individuals and societies responded along the way.”

Established in 1996, the Museum Teacher Fellowship (MTF) program at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum develops a national corps of skilled teachers who provide ongoing professional development and share Museum resources in their schools, communities, and professional organizations. To date, 470 teachers have completed the program.

“The Museum Teacher Fellows play a vital role in bringing the lessons of the Holocaust to communities around the country,” said Kim Blevins-Relleva, manager of education programs in the Museum’s Levine Institute for Holocaust Education.