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HRE USA

A network dedicated to building a culture of human rights

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HRE USA Welcomes Two New Regional Representatives

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HRE USA has a national network of chapters with regional representatives who volunteer to serve as contact persons for human rights educators in their region, state, or city. HRE USA is excited to welcome two new representatives for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.  

JOHN TERRY

JOHN TERRY, NEW JERSEY & PENNSYLVANIA
John Terry is a social studies teacher in New Jersey public schools, where he has participated in the NJ state chapter of HRE USA, and led efforts in school districts to integrate human rights into their current curricula and to design stand-alone courses in human rights. To this end, he has developed model lessons and resources for the HRE USA Curriculum Integration Guide and provided professional development to educators in NJ through district in-service sessions and state-wide conferences. John holds degrees and certifications from the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, and Montclair State University, and has completed formal training in Human Rights Education through the University of San Francisco.
 

RACHEL BERGSIEKER

RACHEL BERGSIEKER, WASHINGTON, DC
Rachel Bergsieker is a passionate advocate for human rights education based in Washington, DC. Rachel formerly served as the American Friends Service Committee’s (AFSC) Human Rights Learning Associate, where she worked to expand human rights education in DC schools. Managing AFSC’s Human Rights Learning Program, she co-authored the curriculum for a DC Public School (DCPS) high school social studies elective course entitled “Human Rights and Social Action.” In its first year, the elective was offered at 3 DCPS high schools, reaching over 80 students. Rachel is excited to continue to build a culture of human rights in DC in this new role.

Contact the regional representative nearest you and get involved with human rights education in your area!

>> Learn more about HRE USA Regional Chapters

USHRN Human Rights Report

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The US Human Rights Network recently released its annual human rights report.  This year’s report takes an entirely new form from previous years, spotlighting nearly a dozen member organizations and members from the communities they serve. The report strives to bridge the gap between the human rights framework and the lived reality of people directly impacted by human rights violations. By focusing on the voices of their members, the report serves as a platform for them to tell their stories. 

>> Access Report

Stay-In-Stitute for Climate Change Education

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EVENT DETAILS: 
When: July 22-24, 2020
Where: Virtual conference
Cost: $150 (scholarships available)
Credits: 20 hours of Continuing education and 2 graduate credits available

Climate change solutions are made in the classroom, at home, and within our communities. Let’s make the most out of our current situation by reimagining what education can be and how we can build opportunities for climate change solutions together! Virtual learning experiences offer a unique opportunity to make connections across our public and at-home learning spaces that don’t exist in the traditional system.

This three-day experience will take you beyond your computer screen, and into your backyard and neighborhood to do authentic scientific and social data collection, move your body, and make observations of the world around you. On-screen time will be segmented into at most two-hours at a time, and small group online experiences will occur daily, as well as optional evening events.

>> Learn more and register

Teach and Demand Justice for George Floyd

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The horrifying and senseless death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police has thrown the State of Minnesota and the entire country into a state of grief and turmoil.

It’s yet another example of the racism that black, brown and indigenous peoples in the United States live with every day. It’s also an opportunity for us to join together and rewrite the rules so everyone, with no exceptions, can thrive without fear, care for their families, have their voices heard, and their rights respected.

As Pedro Noguera wrote, “Educators. This is a teachable moment. Don’t be afraid to teach about the meaning of justice and the murder of George Floyd by the police. Our students are watching.”

Here are some things you can do.

Anti-Racism Teaching Resources:

Organizations/funds to donate to:

Actions to take:

People’s Historians Online Mini-Classes

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EVENT DETAILS: 
When: Fridays throughout May and June
Time: 11 am Pacific, 1pm Central, 2pm Eastern
Where: Live Stream
Cost: FREE

Every Friday, as part of their People’s Historians Online Series, the Zinn Education Project presents a 75-minute mini-class featuring phenomenal teachers, authors, and professors from around the United States. 

Participants can look forward to learning through stories about people’s history, meeting other educators, and finding a road map forward in the midst of this pandemic. As one participant said, “Thank you for getting us together and giving me hope that we are not alone and that we can think and act ourselves out of this pandemic.”

The sessions are designed for teachers and other school staff, however, parents, students, and others are welcome to participate. ASL interpretation is provided. Upcoming sessions include: 

  • June 5: Reconstruction and Issues of Citizenship, Suffrage, and Movement Building in the 19th Century: Part 1 – Manisha Sinha in conversation with an educator
  • June 12: Reconstruction and Issues of Citizenship, Suffrage, and Movement Building in the 19th Century: Part 2 – Martha Jones in conversation with Tiffany Mitchell Patterson
  • June 19: Reconstruction and Juneteenth – Greg Carr in conversation with Jessica Rucker
  • June 26: Women in the Black Freedom Struggle – Jeanne Theoharis in conversation with Jesse Hagopian

>> Learn more and register

(Re)View HRE USA 101 Webinar

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HRE USA would like to thank everyone who participated in our new membership webinar last month. If you missed it or would like to review or share the video and resources, we have made the entire webinar available online. 

>> View full presentation
>> View slides only

We also encourage you to connect with your regional chapter. If you do not see a chapter or representative in your area and would like to serve, please let us know. Also be sure to check out our HRE online library if you haven’t already!

If you have any questions, are interested in learning more about or joining any of our committees or projects, or have a new idea, please let us know. We are always looking for new members to carry out important HRE initiatives. Just email info@hreusa.org and we will reply within a few days. 

Supporting Students Through Coronavirus

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By Teaching Tolerance

Educators are doing a tremendous job right now supporting students and families through the COVID-19 pandemic. Teaching Tolerance has developed the following resources to support student well-being and learning during school closures. 

SIMA Classroom – One Month FREE

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As academic institutions across the world make the switch from in-person classes to online learning in response to public safety surrounding coronavirus, SIMA Classroom would like to provide their support by offering ONE MONTH of FREE access to SIMA Classroom, the “Netflix of Global Education”. 

No auto-renew. No strings attached. Just a quick and easy fast track to online learning.  Should a recurring membership be desired after one month, users can simply navigate to our subscription page or email us directly at edu@simaclassroom.com. Plans start at $8/mo.

>> Redeem Offer

We are grateful for the generous support of our members, individual donors, and The Puffin Foundation Ltd
The core values of HRE USA and its partner organizations include transparency and critical thinking skills. We believe that human rights--and human rights education--belong to everyone, and that the full realization of human rights means that access to human rights education materials must never be conditioned upon the subscription to any particular religious faith, ideology, political affiliation, or membership in any particular organization and that any organizational connections should be openly acknowledged.