Have HRE news, resources, or events to share?

For Blog posts, which feed the HRE USA Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, please email kristi@hreusa.org with “BLOG” in the subject line. **Please make sure that you include an image as well as the short writeup. If there is a link for further information, you can include this link. Blog examples: News and Updates (hreusa.org)

For Newsletter items, please send agenda items and story information to info@hreusa.org with “NEWSLETTER” in the subject line. **Please send an image and your story write-up with a link by the 15th of each month to be included in the next newsletter. Newsletter examples.

If you would like HRE USA to co-sponsor an upcoming human rights event by sharing with our network, please submit this form.

HRE USA Awards: Call for Nominations!

Know a group or individual who is making a real difference in human rights education? Nominate them for one of HRE USA’s annual awards:

2024-2025 TAAS Series: Youth Power, Defending Human Rights: Learnings and Actions for the 35th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Every year, Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) holds its Training as Action Series (TAAS), a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills and information needed to take action on rights issues in their communities.

The theme of the 2024-2025 training series is: “Youth Power, Defending Human Rights: Learnings and Actions for the 35th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).” Sessions will discuss topics such as youth rights, the CRC, education as a tool for empowerment, international youth solidarity, the theory of change, digital citizenship, and mental wellness.

>> Register for sessions

The 2024-2025 TAAS program will include the following modules:

  • Introduction to HRE USA and Human Rights Education (optional)
    • Saturday, September 21, 11am-12pm EST
      This session will provide an overview of HRE USA and opportunities for participation in the organization, as well as an introduction to human rights education more broadly. To attend our introductory session, please register here
  • Module 1: Youth Power, Defending Human Rights 
    • Monday, September 30, 7-8:30 pm EST 
  • Module 2: Know Your (Human) Rights: Education for Youth Empowerment
    • Monday, October 21, 7-8:30 pm EST 
  • Module 3: Trust Kids! Dismantling Hierarchy in Human Rights Advocacy
    • Monday, November 18, 7-8:30 pm EST 
  • Module 4: A Children’s Rights-Lens to Youth Human Rights Advocacy
    • Monday, December 2, 7-8:30 pm EST 
  • Module 5: Digital Citizenship & Human Rights in the Age of Disinformation
    • Monday, February 10, 7-8:30 pm EST 
  • Module 6: Challenging U.S.-Centric Models, Building International Youth Solidarity
    • Monday, February 24, 7-8:30 pm EST 
  • Module 7: Big Actions, Big Feelings: Practical Empathy in Human Rights
    • Monday, March 10, 7-8:30 pm EST 
  • Module 8: Theory of Change: Designing Youth Spaces/Places in Human Rights
    • Monday, April 14, 7-8:30 pm EST 

To become a participant of the 2024-2025 TAAS program, please register here. You can register for individual sessions or you can register for the entire series. Participants that attend at least six sessions over the course of the 2024-2025 TAAS program (including the introductory session) will receive a certification from HRE USA.

We hope to have you join us in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the CRC through our Training As Action Series!

>> If you have any questions, please contact kristi@hreusa.org

The Kirby Edmonds Fellowship Campaign: donate by August 17!

Update: Together we’ve raised $2,240! Thank you to all of our supporters and community, and shout out to our three Edmonds Fellows—Ara Eghbali, Carly Sandstrom, and Emma Tolliver—and Supervisors—Hallie McRae and Kara Anderson—for their amazing work on this campaign!

Our campaign ends August 17, please consider a donation to support the Edmonds Fellows!
>> Donate

Become a co-sponsor today and help support the 2024-2025 series
We are finalizing our Co-Sponsors for the 2024-25 Training As Action Series. If you are interested in becoming a Co-Sponsor with a contribution of $100-750, you can donate through the link below, request an invoice, or write a check made out to the Center for Transformative Action and mailed to The Center for Transformative Action (Attn: HRE USA, P.O. Box 760, Ithaca, NY), or Contact kristi@hreusa.org for more information. All co-sponsors will have the opportunity to have their organization’s logo displayed on promotional materials.
>>Co-sponsorship donation campaign

About the Kirby Edmonds Summer Fellowships:

The Kirby Edmonds Summer Fellowships were established to honor the remarkable legacy of Kirby Edmonds, a pivotal member of the human rights community who devoted his life to social justice. These fellowships are designed to develop human rights education leaders by offering them practical experience and mentorship, helping them to carry forward Kirby’s vision and commitment to social justice.

How You Can Help:

You can help us by contributing to our new 2025 Kirby Edmonds Summer Fellowships Campaign. We will be in touch with more information soon, but your gift will help us achieve our fundraising goal before the end of the summer. We want to ensure that this important program is sustained for years to come.

Stay Connected:

Follow us on social media for updates and stories from our fellows.

It’s Steering Committee elections time! 

It’s Steering Committee elections time! This year we have 6 candidates to fill 3 open seats. Learn more about each candidate by reading their statements and bios. Once you choose your three candidates, cast your ballot by clicking Vote Now!

>> Statement and bios

Vote by Monday, August 19!

>>Vote Now

You must be a member to vote. Please email info@hreusa.org if you are uncertain of your membership status / would like to become a member.

For further inquiries, please contact Kristi Rudelius-Palmer at kristi@hreusa.org

Become a sponsor for 2024-2025 TAAS Series!

Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training As Action Series (TAAS) is a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on the critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills, resources, and tools needed to take action on human rights issues in their communities.

The 2024-2025 training series will center on the theme, “Youth Power, Defending Human Rights: Learnings and Actions for the 35th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.” Sessions will discuss topics such as youth rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, education as a tool for empowerment, international youth solidarity, the theory of change, digital citizenship, and mental wellness.

Become a co-sponsor today and help support the 2024-2025 series
All co-sponsors will have the opportunity to have their organization’s logo displayed on promotional materials. You can donate through the link above, request an invoice, or write a check made out to the Center for Transformative Action and mailed to The Center for Transformative Action, Attn: HRE USA, P.O. Box 760, Ithaca, NY.

>> Co-sponsorship donation campaign

>> If you have any questions, please contact kristi@hreusa.org

Episodes 36 & 37 with Glenn Mitoma are available on Human Rights Education NOW!

We are pleased to announce the availability of our latest installment of podcast episodes in Human Rights Education NOW! Episodes 36 & 37 feature conversations with Glenn Mitoma. Glenn Mitoma is a Lecturer in the Discipline of Human Rights and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University.  His research and teaching focus on the history of human rights and human rights education, with current projects on the mid-20th century history of human rights education. He has served on the Connecticut State Advisory Committee on Genocide and Holocaust Education and the Executive Committee for Human Rights Educators USA, and was a founding member of both the Connecticut Human Rights Partnership and the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education. His publications include: Preparing Educators, Advocates, and Allies: Teacher Education in the HRE Movement and Human Rights and the Negotiation of American Power.

Episode 36: Glenn Mitoma, Part One

In Episode 36, Glenn Mitoma shares the origins of his interest in human rights and human rights education (HRE) and his work at the University of Connecticut. Next, he describes partnership programs between the university and K-12 education, as well as professional development programs in HRE for K-12 educators and their students. Glenn then discusses challenges in forging partnerships within a university setting, as well as the hurdles and opportunities for HRE at Columbia University and other higher education institutions, and his thoughts on the creation of the University and College Consortium for HRE. Glenn highlights what he sees as a growing interest among  students in programs that advance justice and the barriers constraining non-traditional programs in HRE. Later, Glenn expounds upon the relationships between higher education and popular education in HRE, in addition to popular and community education connections to transformative HRE. Glenn then examines the connections between HRE and active K-12 citizenship education, as well as ideas around revisiting history education and the concept of shared memory using an HRE lens. Lastly, Glenn illuminates his views on U.S. history as part of a global, transnational process, along with efforts at censoring history and social studies instruction.

Topics discussed:

  • Origins of interests in human rights and human rights education
  • Work at the University of Connecticut
  • Partnership programs between university and K-12 programs
  • Professional development programs in HRE for K-12 educators
  • Challenges in forging partnerships within university setting 
  • Hurdles and opportunities for HRE at Columbia University and other institutions
  • Creation of the University and College College Consortium for HRE
  • Growing interest among students in social justice programs
  • Relationship between HRE and K-12 citizenship education 
  • Revisiting history education through shared memory using HRE lens
  • Views on U.S. history as global, transnational process

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Episode 37: Glenn Mitoma, Part Two

In Episode 37, Glenn Mitoma discusses the relationships between HRE and social justice, as well as his thoughts on social justice as a dynamic force advancing human rights in the pursuit of justice. Next, he shares his thoughts on the Indigenous rights movement as a force for collective rights. Glenn also describes the use of CRC as a pathway to support childrens’ rights, including ideas for engaging youth voices in decision making about education. He then elaborates on HRE and the challenge of authoritarianism and confronting leaders and others who reject universal human rights. Later, he shares his views on education as a force for human rights, and the significance of mobilizing the broader public in defense of human rights and education writ large. Glenn then underlines the importance of building alliances between HRE and educators from K-university as a way to challenge inequality and support academic freedom. He shares his role models who inspired his HRE work, such as Miles Horton and Hannah Arendt. He recommends advancing HRE in the U.S. by establishing a national truth commission regarding human rights violations and genocide against Indigenous Peoples along with constructing a new historical memory through an open, democratic forum, citing the California Reparations Task Force as an example. 

Topics discussed:

  • Relationship between HRE and social justice 
  • Social justice as dynamic force for advancing human rights
  • Indigenous rights movement as force for collective rights
  • CRC as pathway to support childrens’ rights 
  • Engaging youth voices in decision making about education
  • Challenges of authoritarianism 
  • Confronting leaders who reject universal human rights 
  • Views on education as force for human rights 
  • Mobilizing the broader public in defense of human rights 
  • Alliances between university and K-12 educators to support academic freedom
  • Role models and recommendations for advancing HRE in the U.S.

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

📢 For Listeners: Moved from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music in April

  • Google Podcast was discontinued on April 2, 2024.
  • We moved all our episodes onto YouTube Music. 
  • All previously published episodes will remain available on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Deezer, and PlayerFM. 

Thank you for supporting the Human Rights Education NOW! podcast!

Youth in Action for Human Rights Awards

To encourage a new generation of human rights activists, the 2024 Youth in Action for Human Rights Awards recognize youth leaders, one individual and one group, whose work explicitly or implicitly reflects and promotes human rights values. Because young activists must nominate themselves for the awards, HRE USA urges adults familiar with their work to urge them to apply. For further information and nomination forms see https://hreusa.org/awards-and-grant-opportunities/youth-in-action-for-human-rights-awards/

Award Eligibility:  

Their principal work should focus on the USA. 

One individual and one group of young people in high school (grades 9-12) or the equivalent  (e.g., older high school students, GED students, not in formal schooling). 

Ineligible: College students and those 21 or older.

Questions? Email awards@hreusa.org