How can educators meaningfully teach about war, displacement, and trauma in Ukraine? What does it look like to bring lived experience into the classroom?
Join IRIS NRC & CREECA for a powerful conversation designed for K–14 educators seeking to engage students with contemporary global issues. This event features:
Professor Yoshiko Herrera, expert in Russian and Eurasian politics and faculty affiliate of the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA) who will provide context on the war in Ukraine and its broader implications.
Bill Gibson, a former high school social studies teacher who spent time in Ukraine as a volunteer in Fall 2024, sharing personal reflections and teaching strategies drawn from his experience on the ground.
Together, they will explore the human dimensions of war and the challenges and opportunities of teaching about conflict, memory, and resistance in today’s classrooms.
This event draws inspiration from Ukraine: Remember Also Me by George Butler, a children’s book that documents stories of war and resilience through illustrated testimony. The first 30 Wisconsin K-14 educators who register for this event will receive a free copy of the book!
All are welcome. There will be time for Q&A and discussion.
Ukraine: Remember Also Me is a collection of vivid and powerful testimonies from the conflict in Ukraine, collated and illustrated by award-winning artist George Butler.
While reporting on the war in Ukraine, George Butler has created striking and intimate illustrations to introduce us to the people behind the headlines. His drawings, made in a variety of places, from people and animals in underground shelters in the Kharkiv metro, to hospitals and bombed out streets and homes, vividly capture stories of family, tragedy and perseverance. These powerful portraits of war and conflict are a timely reminder of the humanity we all share and our universal need for peace. A stunning, illuminating and sensitive look at stories that deserve to be told.
“Reportage illustration at its finest”.
Ian Hislop
“A remarkable first draft of history – raw and revelatory. Reportage of aching beauty. Intimate portraits reveal deeper truths about this war of our time.”
Lyse Doucet
This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA) at UW–Madison.
