The Crocus Project
How it works
The Crocus Project is an Irish initiative that is now active across Europe, with almost 200,000 young people from Ireland and 11 European countries taking part. Our goal is to reach more than 1.5 million crocuses in bloom.
Holocaust Education Ireland supplies yellow crocus bulbs for young people aged ten years and over to plant in memory of the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust and the thousands of other children who were victims of Nazi atrocities. The yellow flowers recall the stars that Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule. Crocuses bloom around the end of January at the same time as International Holocaust Memorial Day.
The Crocus Project is a tangible and age-appropriate way to introduce students to the Holocaust. When people admire the flowers, the pupils explain what they represent and recall the children who perished in the Holocaust.
This project is supported by the Department of Education.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It's easy to take part in the Crocus Project! Simply fill in your details on our registration form here.
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We provide teachers with free crocus bulbs as well as a comprehensive Teacher's Handbook. This contains lesson plans, resources, activities, booklists, certificates and more. Students plant their bulbs in October in time for them to bloom around the end of January in time for International Holocaust Memorial Day.
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We welcome new and returning participants each year so we encourage all interested teachers to contact us if you are interested in taking part.
We send crocus bulbs mainly to primary and secondary schools across Ireland. We also welcome participation from third level institutions, community organisations, and local authorities. If you would like to take part in the Crocus Project but are unsure if your group should participate, please feel free to contact us!
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We encourage teachers to register as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Although we do not have a 'hard' deadline for teachers to register their class, we recommend registering before the end of October each year to ensure your bulbs are planted at the right time.
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You will receive your Teacher's Pack (Handbook and bulbs) depending on when you registered. The majority of participants will receive their Pack in late September/early October.
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We have a large collection of resources available to teachers who are teaching their students about the Holocaust. You can find our resources collection here.
For teachers participating in the Crocus Project, we provide a free Teacher's Handbook (available in print and PDF formats). We also provide all Crocus Project resources in digital format here.
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HEI is currently preparing a set of guidelines for teachers focused on teaching the Holocaust within today's geopolitical climate and in light of international conflicts. These guidelines are expected to be available for teachers for the beginning of the 2024/25 school year.
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We strongly encourage all participating teachers to join the Crocus Club. Teachers from across Europe share photos, videos and insights from their experiences participating in the Crocus Project. Why not connect your students to their European peers and join the Crocus Club today?
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Students are at the core of our mission and we love seeing their interest in and enthusiasm for preserving the lessons of history for future generations.
Students can get involved in a variety of ways! Senior cycle students can submit their entries for the Mary Elmes Prize in Holocaust Studies to be in with a chance to read at the national Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration. HEI also runs a number of public outreach events, which you can stay updated on by visiting our News & Events page, or by signing up to our newsletter.
The Crocus Project Teacher’s Handbook
The Crocus Project is supported by the Teacher’s Handbook, a comprehensive teaching tool containing lesson plans, materials, resources and more. The Teacher’s Handbook is available in several European languages, which are available to download below:
The Crocus Project - English
Projekt krokus - Czech
Projekt Krokus - Poland
Tionscadal an Chróch - Gaeilge
Το Πρόγραμμα Crocus - Greece
Proiectul Crocus - Romania
Проектът „Минзухар“ - Bulgarian
Krókusz Projekt - Hungary
Projekt Krókus - Slovakia
El Crocus Proyecto - Spain
Projekt Šafran - Croatian
Il Progetto Crocus - Italy
Projekt Krokus - Slovenia
Our Partners
Resources
Our Impact
The Crocus Project has continued to grow from strength to strength since its beginning in 2005. Across our 12 partner countries, we have seen a 47% increase in participation between 2018 and 2023.
2022/23 saw the addition of a new partner country - 24,000 Spanish students participated in the Crocus Project for the first time!
Student Participation in the Crocus Project 2022/23
