Illinois Holocaust Museum leader recognized for education innovation

By AI, Created 11:06 AM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – Kelley Szany, senior vice president of education and exhibitions at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie, is being highlighted for using immersive technology and survivor-centered storytelling to expand Holocaust education. Her work also underscores how museums are adapting to reach wider audiences and confront antisemitism and hatred.

Why it matters: - Kelley Szany’s work shows how museums are using technology to make Holocaust education more accessible, emotionally resonant and durable. - Her approach matters now as educators look for new ways to counter antisemitism, hatred and historical denial. - The museum’s digital reach now extends beyond its physical campus through an online platform launched in 2026.

What happened: - Influential Women showcased Kelley Szany, senior vice president of education and exhibitions at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie, Illinois. - Szany has spent more than 25 years at the museum, moving from intern to senior executive leader. - She oversees educational initiatives, public programming, professional training and exhibition strategy. - Szany also helps shape the museum’s long-term institutional vision and development.

The details: - Szany has served as an executive producer on multiple award-winning virtual reality film experiences tied to Holocaust history and survivor testimony. - The VR projects are designed to place visitors inside reconstructed environments connected to historical events. - Szany helped develop interactive experiences using non-generative AI technology that allow guided conversations with recorded survivor testimonies. - In 2026, Szany led the launch of an online platform that broadens access to those interactive educational resources. - Szany earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Canisius University and a master’s degree in public history from Loyola University Chicago. - Her background in history and public interpretation informs her museum leadership and educational design. - Szany serves as co-chair of the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission. - She is also vice president of the board for the Educators Institute for Human Rights.

Between the lines: - The profile presents Szany as a leader whose career grew through long-term institutional experience rather than a fast-tracked ascent. - Her emphasis on observing experienced leaders and resisting “hustle culture” points to a slower model of professional development. - The article frames immersive technology as a tool for preserving survivor testimony as living, accessible educational content. - The museum’s broader role appears to be shifting from a local exhibition space to a wider educational platform and convening point for dialogue. - Szany describes the current climate as marked by divisiveness, antisemitism and hatred, which shapes how she thinks museums should respond.

What’s next: - Szany says museums and educational institutions still have two major opportunities ahead: expanding immersive access to history and strengthening museums as spaces for difficult conversations. - Her leadership suggests continued investment in virtual and extended reality, survivor testimony platforms and public education. - The museum is likely to keep building tools that connect historical learning with empathy, resilience and prevention of hatred.

The bottom line: - Szany’s profile centers a broader shift in museum education: preserving history now also means designing new ways for audiences to experience, understand and act on it.