Our Mission
The Genocide Education Project (GenEd) seeks to assist educators in teaching about human rights and genocide, with particular focus on the Armenian Genocide, its ongoing repercussions, and its relationship to other genocides. GenEd develops secondary level instructional materials and leads professional development workshops for teachers.
The idea for GenEd sprung out of the absence of scholastic instruction about the Armenian Genocide, the systematic annihilation and dispossession of 1.5 million Armenians, half the Armenian population living on its historic homeland, by the Turkish government of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
Although sometimes referred to as “the forgotten genocide,” the Armenian Genocide is considered by historians as the prototype for genocides which came after it, including the most widely taught genocide, the Holocaust, and others which have taken the lives of millions of innocent victims.
In order for future generations to be able to combat and prevent the problem of genocide, young people today must better understand its reasons, circumstances, outcomes, and ramifications.
Working with U.S. secondary education social studies and English language arts educators, GenEd seeks to insure that every high school student graduates with an understanding of the Armenian people and the Armenian Genocide in world history and genocide studies, as well as its long-term repercussions today.
Board of Directors and Staff
Roxanne Makasdjian is the co-founder and Executive Director of The Genocide Education Project, overseeing GenEd’s programs, including creation of lesson plans, communications, planning of the GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program and other teacher training workshops and events, as well as partnerships with educational institutions and agencies. Roxanne also worked as the Director of Broadcast Communications at UC Berkeley and was previously a producer for ABC Network News. She holds a Masters degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA.
Dr. Dikran Kaligian teaches history at Worcester State and previously taught at Clark University and Regis, Westfield State, and Wheaton colleges. He is past chairperson of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern Region and Managing Editor of the Armenian Review. He received his Ph. D. in history from Boston College. His book, “Armenian Organization and Ideology under Ottoman Rule, 1908-1914” was published in 2009 by Transaction Publishing.
Dr. Gohar Momjian, GenEd Board Member, is Vice President of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. She holds a B.A. in Psychology specializing in Business Administration from UCLA, an M.A. in International Education, Administration, and Policy Analysis from Stanford University, and an Ed.D. in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC. She has volunteered for several Armenian nonprofit organizations and educational institutions over the last 25 years, including the Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of the Bay Area, and GenEd.
Kerri Flynn, GenEd Education Director, has been a high school social studies educator for 25 years. She teaches Modern U.S. History and has also created a Human Rights and Genocide course at her school, Washington High School, near St. Louis, Missouri. Flynn received the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator award in 2022 and serves as Executive Secretary for the Missouri Council for the Social Studies. She also teaches Sociology and Psychology at East Central College. She is one of GenEd’s first GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program participants. She has participated in numerous other in-depth professional development programs for teachers related to human rights, the Holocaust and other genocides, and WWII.
Seda Aghamianz serves as GenEd Administrator. She has a Master’s degree in International Relations from Boston University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Russian from U/Mass-Amherst. Ms. Aghamianz has held several positions within the Armenian community, including Executive Director of the Armenian Relief Society, Eastern United States, and Project Manager at the Ani and Narod Memorial Fund. She has served on several non-profit boards as a volunteer member and currently serves on the Boards of the Marshall Home Fund and Watertown for All Ages.
The Genocide Education Project Advisory Board
The Genocide Education Project is a nonpartisan,
nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), educational organization.
(Tax Identification Number: 59-3791802)