Kelley Szany, Director of Educational Outreach and Genocide Initiatives at Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, was recently accepted into the Carl Wilkens Fellowship program whereby, for the next year, she will work alongside national leaders to create and strengthen the permanent anti-genocide constituency in the state of Illinois.
Kelley Szany
The Carl Wilkens Fellowship seeks to strengthen and expand the movement to end genocide and mass atrocities in such countries as Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur by fostering education and action in communities across the United States.
During her 13-year tenure with the Illinois Holocaust Museum, Szany, the daughter of Helene McAleese of Old Forge, has been instrumental in the development of the Museum’s broader genocide and human rights mission and vision.
She has become recognized as a leading contemporary genocide educator, speaking to audiences not only on the Holocaust but the genocides of Armenia, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur, as well as the power of social change and youth activism.
As one of 11 leaders from across the nation chosen for the honor, Szany will use her fellowship year to focus on expanding the visibility and impact of genocide awareness programming in Illinois, with a specific focus of bringing programming to underserved communities in Chicago, fostering new community partnerships to create a larger network of anti-genocide advocates across the region.
She currently lives in Schererville, IN with her husband, Michael, and their three children.
