„School of Dialogue" is an educational program, developed and conducted by the Forum for Dialogue Among Nations, which aims at broadening young people's knowledge about the long presence of Jews in Poland through self- exploration and commemoration of the pre-war Jewish history in the place they live. Activities are targeted at Polish middle school and high school students.

Year 2008 marked the first edition of the program, which was carried out in Warsaw schools. Since 2009, SCHOOL OF DIALOGUE-WARSAW has been conducted together with its sister project- SCHOOL OF DIALOGUE -POLAND, which engages youth from former shtetls.

Before the II World War, Jews constituted over 10% of Poland's population. This community was very diverse  with regard to the degree of assimilation, education as well as religiosity. It is crucial for youth to learn the history of the Jewish nation, which has been an inseparable part of the Polish culture and history. It is even more important for an open and increasingly multicultural society where nevertheless prejudices and false stereotypes still occur.

„School of Dialogue" is based on an assumption that knowledge, understanding and dialogue are the key to overcoming barriers and reluctance.  During our workshops a space for open discussion is created what enables the participants to face issues often difficult to deal with. Polish- Jewish dialogue is essential both due to our common past and strengthening the attitudes of openness, tolerance and understanding.

Students participating in the project get to know the history of their town, often discovering blank spots on the map of knowledge of the no longer existing Jewish community. Through individual work supported by Forum's educators, they explore the history on their own and link their discoveries with the physical traces of Jewish past in their surroundings.

Participating schools are awarded the title of " School of Dialogue". The criterion for obtaining it, involves students' participation in four educational workshops designed and conducted by Forum's professionals. In the course of the program, youth is obliged to prepare their own project commemorating the pre-war Jewish community.

The program is summed up by a festive GALA OF DIALOGUE, where the participating schools are awarded a diploma of the SCHOOL OF DIALOGUE. During the celebration, the winner of the competition for the best project prepared by students with the support of Forum's educators and devoted to commemoration and physical traces of the Jewish community, is announced. The winning school receives material prizes and the group of students that conducted the project is invited for a two-days study visit to Cracow and Auschwitz in reward.

„It is a very interesting project. The idea of an outdoor game activates youth and broadens their knowledge about the different stages of the Jewish Ghetto existence."

Barbara Engelking-Boni, Director of the Polish Center for Holocaust Research

„I could look at the places I have known for all my life from the perspective of people who had lived there. The past made me understand the present"

Agnieszka Kosicka, student from Warsaw