Students at Edwardsburg High School will have a unique opportunity next week, when two special guests visit members of the school’s senior class.

As part of a unit of study focused on the theme of “facing injustice and demonstrating social responsibility” students will listen to presentations by Diane Sarnat, a Holocaust survivor and Marie Rose Gatete, a survivor of the 1994 genocide that took place in Rwanda.

The presenation was made possible by a grant from the Edwardsburg Public Schools Education Foundation.

“They’re going to tell their own personal experiences, experiences of their family members and through those experiences” try to show a connection to the theme for students, said Tracey Thompson, who teaches English at Edwardsburg High School and coordinated the event.

“(There will be) a lot of mostly personal stories just to try to drive the point home,” she said.

The opportunity for students is significant, Thompson added, “It’s hard to really put a value on that kind of thing. I just think that when we come from small communities like this we often feel very removed from some of the world events.”

In putting the event together, Thompson worked with members of the Holocaust Rememberance Fund through Temple Beth El in South Bend and former school board member Dr. Ilene Sheffer of Indiana University South Bend to get in touch with both survivors. The two will speak to seniors Wednesday, Jan. 12 at the Edwardsburg Perofrming Arts Center.