Beyond the classroom: Spearheading a school initiative with international impact

On December 9, 2025, I hosted an event at my school, Upper Canada College, in collaboration with the internationally recognized non-profit organization, the Zoryan Institute, timed to coincide with the International Day of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide.

Rooted in the recognition that intergenerational trauma is one of the tragic legacies of genocide, I approached the Zoryan Institute with my idea to bring their program to my school and designed a graphic to promote the event online and also in our hallways and to diverse student bodies.

The event at Manucha & Bellamy Studio Theatre at UCC. Photo supplied by the Zoryan Institute

Led by Lauren Fedewa, a PhD Candidate in the Department of History and the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto, the program offered a comprehensive study of several genocides, including those of Indigenous peoples in Canada, the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust.

Why I championed genocide education

As the head of the Armenian Culture Club at UCC and the descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, I felt it was my responsibility to bring this program to my community to educate my fellow students through a historically grounded presentation that also looked at education as a means of prevention.

While Canada recognizes the Armenian Genocide, it is not a mandatory part of the Ontario curriculum.

And so I intentionally invited several student clubs and faculty advisers to the event and I was gratified to see representatives from several of the clubs I invited, including the Asian Heritage Club, Chinese Heritage Club, Hellenic Culture Club, Slavic Culture Club, UNICEF Club and the Black Excellence Society.

This program was informative because it presented a unique perspective on these genocides through the victims’ lens, specifically the vocal histories of teenage girls Anne Frank, a Jewish girl in the Netherlands; Armenian Aurora Mardiganian; and Matilda Mallett, an Indigenous Canadian.

Watching portions of the film “Aurora’s Sunrise” allowed us to understand her lived experiences in a way that reading statistics about victims in a history text never could.

What I learned

This event provided an intellectual shift in the way that I perceived the history not only of Armenians but of the Indigenous in Canada, as we learned about the different stages of genocide, such as deportation, dehumanization, discrimination and more.

For example, in “Aurora’s Sunrise,” we saw how Ottoman soldiers displaced Armenians from their homes, not only taking away the people, but also their sentimental and valuable items. 

We also learned how to differentiate between a genocide and a human rights abuse; and discussed that acts can only be considered a genocide when they target a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. 

Not only that, we also spoke about various quotes from victims of genocides, which turned out to be very similar. Both Mallett and Frank spoke about displacement in their quotes, which exemplifies how this is a recurring theme in genocides. 

Overall, this event was important in raising awareness for the Armenian Genocide, and genocide education as a whole, as it prompted thoughtful discussions not only about historical but also current events and the relevance of cultural genocide under the UN definition.

The scale of the impact

In terms of what impacted me the most, I would say that the participation from teachers and students affected me deeply. It was touching to see not only my peers but faculty members  engaged with the presentation as this is a topic close to my heart. 

Furthermore, not only did this presentation impact and educate me, it also did the same for my school community. During my presentation, many teachers and students voiced their opinions, some even asking for clarification on the definition of genocide, and what the institute does to prevent it. 

I hope that in the future, others can carry this flame and organize more genocide awareness events and use this knowledge not only in class, but simply to enrich their historical knowledge. 

In the following days after the event:

• Many teachers reached out to me to congratulate me for architecting this event for the school

• The Zoryan Institute featured our event online with their network, which reaches scholars and human rights advocates worldwide

• The event was further amplified by members of my own school community, including the Orr’s House on social media

• Furthermore, the Zoryan Institute reached out to make contact with some faculty in attendance who had expressed interest about the Institute’s educational programming and specifically its Promoting Equity, Tolerance, and Reconciliation Program

• Several publications around the world reported on my student-led initiative with headlines on the event at my school

This included an article by Orer, based in Prague, Czech Republic:

As well as a headline in the Armenian Weekly publication in Watertown, Massachusetts:

And an article in Aravot, based in Yerevan, Armenia:

And more locally, the Torontohye publication, based in Toronto, Ontario:

I was profoundly moved to receive a personal letter from Greg Sarkissian, one of the founders of the Zoryan Institute, who wrote: “I want to tell you how deeply moved we are by the initiative you have taken.

"Your recent contribution to the Institute reflects a rare and admirable quality: an awareness of your own history, experiences, and identity that extends outward with genuine care for others. This ability to transform personal understanding into collective compassion is something truly special.”