hreusa

Dr. William Paul Simmons

The Human Rights in Higher Education Award recognizes an individual, organization, initiative, or publication for its outstanding contribution to human rights education. The first international award in human rights education, it aims to acknowledge work that embodies human rights principles in teaching, learning, research, policies and practices.

Dr. William Paul Simmons is a Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies and Founder of the online Human Rights Practice Program at the University of Arizona. Some of his publications include Joyful Human Rights (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019), Human Rights Law and the Human Rights Law and the Marginalized Other (Cambridge UP, 2011), and articles and a book chapter exploring legal remedies for the feminicides in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

He has served as a consultant on human rights and social justice issues in The Gambia, Niger, Nigeria, Bangladesh, China, Mexico, and the United States. He has a strong record of building coalitions and facilitating collaboration among diverse actors around the world in support of human rights and practice.

To learn more about the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education, please visit www.ucchre.org

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Congratulations to Dr. Pedro Jose Gonzalez Corona and The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program! 

The individual award goes to Dr. Pedro Jose Gonzalez Corona, Assistant Professor of Human Rights at the departments of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Comparative Cultural Studies at Northern Arizona University. The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program (TWAICB) receives the organizational award. Read more about 2025 Edward O’Brien HRE Award Winners

Established in 2015 in memory of Edward O’Brien, pioneer human rights educator, the O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards annually honor outstanding contributions to human rights education (HRE) in the United States. The 2025 award was presented to Professor Gonzalez and The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program as part of HRE USA’s Human Rights Day Celebration on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Dr. Gonzalez and TWAICB leaders, Sandy Sohcot and Yvonne Vissing accepted the award at HRE USA’s Human Rights Day Celebration on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

HRE USA is proud to announce the winners of this year’s 2025 Youth In Action for Human Rights Awards: 
 Congratulations to Marium Zahra of El Paso, TX and Shivum Telang of Sewickley, PA—individual winners for their outstanding activism on behalf of social justice, and Vote16MD of Maryland for group achievement! To encourage a new generation of human rights activists, the Youth in Action for Human Rights Awards recognize youth leadership in the defense of and advocacy for human rights in the United States. The Awards annually honor the work of both an individual and a group of young people of high school age. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of the impact, independence, sustainability, creativity, and relevance to human rights. This year’s winners received a $500 prize and were recognized at HRE USA’s national Human Rights Day Celebration on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Read more about the 2025 winners and past youth awards winners.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Human Rights Day is almost here!

As we approach the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, we’re reminded that the work of defending human dignity starts with learning, teaching, and taking action.

Every day, educators, youth leaders, and community advocates are building a more just world through human rights education. This Human Rights Day, you can help strengthen that work.

⏰ Support human rights learning with a year-end gift: https://www.every.org/human-rights-educators/f/human-rights-begin-with

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that accepts all funds on our behalf. [centerfortransformativeaction.org]

Thursday and Friday, December 11th and 12th, 9:00am-3:00pm CT
Register here

Join UnboundEd and CORE Learning for Unbound2025, a two-day virtual conference for every educator committed to breaking the predictability of historic achievement patterns and meeting the needs of every single student. Unbound2025 is focused on one goal: making education work for everyone through evidence-informed, impact-grounded practices that deliver real results for all learners. Registration is free and secures your access to the entire conference. If you can’t tune in live, please register, and we will send you recordings from the event.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Register here

Dec 11, 2025 12:00 PM  in  Central Time (US and Canada)

Do you want to better understand the history and purpose of civics education and what the movement for ‘patriotic education’ could mean for civics ed programs today? Are you running a civics education program, or perhaps thinking to start one, and looking to connect and learn from national civics ed leaders on ways to strengthen or scale it?

Civics Ed and Patriot Education: Implications for Our Schools The first call in this two-part series explores what is happening in civics education in the U.S. today. We’ll revisit the purpose and role of civics education in the U.S. historically and then we will lift the hood on key developments at the federal level, including the America 250 Civics Education Coalition and efforts by the administration to advance ‘patriotic education’. We’ll elevate ways to push for civics education that advances democratic action, critical thinking, and cultural competency and against one-sided approaches to teaching civics and related efforts to undermine state and local control of curricula.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

HRE USA’s Human Rights Here and Now Bulletin is a periodic publication that provides background information and educational resources and lessons to address contemporary human rights issues.

Bulletin 11: Linkages: Connection of Human Rights Education to Initiatives Affecting People and Their Communities

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Visit this page to get up to date on the latest HRE USA news.

See past issues of the newsletter here.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

This Giving Tuesday, support youth-powered change. At HRE USA, we believe that education is the foundation of justice. Every gift fuels human rights education that transforms lives. 

Donate Now!

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that accepts all funds on our behalf. [centerfortransformativeaction.org]