The Virginia Holocaust Museum, through education, the arts, and memorial-making, continues its successful partnership with The Butterfly Project, a global initiative honoring the 1.5 million children murdered during the Holocaust.
"The Butterfly Project’s programming is a gentle approach to teaching a difficult topic. It focuses on the power one person has to make a difference in today’s challenging world," The Butterfly Project website states. "Using history’s darkest time to teach students about hope, resilience and kindness, helping them develop the courage to stand up to injustice in today’s world."
During the 2024-2025 school year, the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond offered butterfly kits at no cost to classrooms across all eight regions of Virginia, reaching more than 10,000 students. The Butterfly Project’s kits, ideal for 4th - 12th grade students, include biography cards of children murdered during the Holocaust, ceramic butterflies, glaze and paint brushes. The kits provide a ready-made and interactive activity to supplement a Holocaust curriculum.
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The Henri Maizels Butterfly Garden is a permanent display in the Museum's lobby. This installation includes over 500 ceramic butterflies and honors Henri Maizels, a Holocaust survivor remembered for his kindness and artistry, and the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.
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A newly installed butterfly mural within the Museum’s lobby encourages visitors to engage with the project. The mural features vibrant butterfly wings where guests can pose for photos and share their experiences on social media, spreading awareness and remembrance beyond the Museum’s walls.
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“Witnessing the response from students and teachers to The Butterfly Project has been incredibly moving. Through the stories on the biography cards, students connect on a personal level with the children they are commemorating, often children their own age. As they paint their butterflies, there's a quiet sense of purpose and reflection. You can see the care and thoughtfulness in every brushstroke, as students honor the memory of a life lost too soon.” Kate Adams, director of public and student programs, said. “Museum visitors who witness the butterfly display throughout the lobby remark on the vibrancy of the butterflies and how moving it is to see lives remembered in a personal and creative way.”
Additional installations throughout the Museum are in progress as more butterflies are received. For the 2025-2026 school year, participating schools will be encouraged to create their own butterfly installations within their schools or communities, expanding the reach and resonance of this important project.
Butterfly kit orders requested through Virginia Holocaust Museum must be placed this year by November 1. For more information about The Butterfly Project, visit thebutterflyprojectnow.org or to request a kit sponsored by Virginia Holocaust Museum, visit vaholocaust.org.
Due to the graphic nature of the subject matter, Virginia Holocaust Museum at 2000 East Cary Street in Richmond, is recommended for visitors 11 years and older. Children and students receive free admission, as well as members and active military, and it is $10 for age 18 and older. The hours are Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Parking is offered for free directly across from the Cary Street entrance to the Museum.
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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: VA Holocaust Museum shares 10K The Butterfly Project kits: Want some?
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