Student Engagement Programs Staff

Initiative on the Holocaust and Civic Responsibility

Marcus Appelbaum Director Marcus Appelbaum is the director of the Museum’s Initiative on the Holocaust and Civic Responsibility which seeks to equip the next generation to take an active role in promoting human dignity and social cohesion in their everyday lives. The primary audiences are High School and College students. Previously Appelbaum directed the Museum’s Law, Justice, and Society Initiatives branch, created in 2009, which served law enforcement and judiciary professionals from around the United States. He developed resources and training models, expanded outreach, and represented the Museum in both national and international conferences. Inspired by his grandmother who survived the Holocaust, Appelbaum began working at the Museum in 1997 as a high school intern. He received a BA in history and international affairs from The George Washington University and an MS in museum management from the Bank Street College of Education in New York City. In 2016, he was honored by the DC Police Department with the Chief of Police Special Award for helping reduce crime through enhanced community partnerships. 

Rebecca Dupas, Ph.D. Manager Dr. Rebecca Dupas is a manager for the Initiative on the Holocaust and Civic Responsibility. After teaching in the Maryland public school system for many years, Rebecca joined the Museum’s staff in 2012 where she worked to engage youth audiences in the history of the Holocaust through the Bringing the Lessons Home Program. She is now the Training Lead for the Museum's Permanent Exhibition (PE) and Docent Working Group. Rebecca continues to support programs that promote youth and civic engagement using lessons from the Holocaust and has worked annually since 2020 to organize ongoing Unconscious Bias Training for USHMM staff. Dr. Dupas earned her PhD in Post-Secondary & Adult Education at Capella University. Her dissertation focuses on the contributions of diversity training in America’s urban classrooms.

Cyndy Clovis Administrative Assistant Cyndy Clovis is the administrative assistant for the Initiative on the Holocaust and Civic Responsibility. She began her career at the Museum in 1989 as a receptionist. Later, she served as the administrative assistant for the volunteer and intern services department.

Becca Cook Program Assistant Becca Cook is the program assistant for the Initiative on the Holocaust and Civic Responsibility where she provides administrative and programmatic support for activities across the division. Prior to joining the IHCR team, Becca worked for a non-profit specializing in cultural heritage management. She received a BA in Art History from Roanoke College in December, 2017.

Civic Learning for Campus Communities 

Jake Newsome Manager Jake Newsome is the manager of Civic Learning for Campus Communities at the Museum, where he works to empower college students with the necessary skills to apply the lessons of the Holocasut in their lives by cultivating communities where hate cannot flourish. Dr. Newsome joined the Museum in 2016 as the Campus Outreach Program Officer. In that role, he was responsible for developing programs that promoted and supported the study and teaching of the Holocaust at college campuses throughout North America. Dr. Newsome earned his PhD in history at the University at Buffalo (SUNY) in 2016, and his research focuses on Holocaust history, gender and sexuality, and memory studies.

Youth and Community Programs

James Fleming Program Director James Fleming is a program manager for the Youth and Community Programs branch of the Initiative on the Holocaust and Civic Responsibility. A native of Washington, DC, Fleming first visited the Museum as a senior attending H.D. Woodson High School. He became a Bringing the Lessons Home Youth Ambassador in 1994 and returned each summer during college to volunteer at the Museum. After graduating from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 2002, he came to work full-time for the Museum. Fleming currently coordinates the Museum’s Bringing the Lessons Home Program and the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program. He also manages the "Field Trip Experience" component of the DC Public Schools World History II Cornerstone Initiative. From 2003 through 2016, Fleming managed the Museum's annual training of the Permanent Exhibition for volunteers, interns, and staff. From youth ambassador to Museum staff, Fleming has been affiliated with the Museum for approximately 24 years.

Jamil Miller Program Coordinator Jamil Miller is a program coordinator for the Youth and Community Programs branch. He graduated from Friendship Edison Public Charter High School and became a Bringing the Lessons Home Youth Ambassador in 2001. For 17 years, Miller has helped manage the Summer Youth Leadership Program for local high school students and taught the Bringing the Lessons Home spring training classes. He received a BA in history and political science from the University of the District of Columbia. Miller taught history in the DC Public Schools, and he continues his work with young people by mentoring and tutoring high school and college students. Miller also does volunteer work with the Washington DC Teachers Union.

Jolomi Modé Program Coordinator Jolomi Modé is a program coordinator for the Youth and Community Programs branch. He graduated from Spingarn High School and became a Bringing the Lessons Home Youth Ambassador in 1996. In the early to mid-2000s, Modé worked full-time for the Museum before pursuing other career endeavors. He continued to volunteer his time and efforts before rejoining the staff of the Museum.

Kerry Phipps Program Coordinator Kerry Phipps is Program Coordinator for the Youth and Community Programs branch of the Initiative on the Holocaust and Civic Responsibility. A third-generation Washingtonian, she graduated from Calvin Coolidge Senior High School and became a Bringing the Lessons Home Youth Ambassador in 1996. For more than 22 years, she has worked on various projects within the Museum. She has a BA in history from Regis College and an MA in Holocaust and genocide studies from Richard Stockton College of NJ.

Lynn Williams Contractor Lynn Williams served as Director of Leadership Programs Division in the Levine Institute for Holocaust Education until June, 2018. Semi-retired, she now represents the Museum as presenter and facilitator for select audiences. For 25 years she led the development of the Museum’s signature programs for youth, inner-city and rural communities, and law enforcement and judicial professionals. As an educator with 30 years of experience, she has spearheaded a wide range of educational programs offered locally, nationally, and internationally through the Museum.