Category: News and Updates

This module examines how systemic inequalities related to gender and disability affect access to and participation in democracy. Participants will explore barriers that limit civic engagement and learn strategies to center marginalized voices. The module emphasizes inclusive civic education that empowers all individuals to engage meaningfully in democratic life.
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Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is 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 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.

Upcoming Session… 

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

Calling all human rights educators and advocates! The members of the HRE USA Regional Reps are coordinating a series of webinars to move from theory to transformation to assist, support, and collaborate to bring collective, local actions to the United States’ 2026 Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights. 

Learn about the UPR: What it is, how it works, and what you can do to engage in the process of shaping human rights in the United States!

Monthly series starts Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 3pm (PT) / 6pm (ET) and will run through April. All HRE USA members are encouraged to attend! Webinars are open to the public (so bring a friend!) 

>> RSVP

Questions? Email us at reps@hreusa.org

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

Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is 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 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.

Upcoming Session… 

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

Sandy Sohcot will be conducting an international training with Yvonne Vissing about how communities and organizations can develop a Rite of Passage Program. This training will occur on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 12:00 noon (ET). It will be free and open to the public on Zoom. 

This training will focus on how communities and organizations can mobilize to support young people so that they can build the positive lives that they, their families, their schools, and their communities believe would help them to live happier, healthier, safer lives. You can contact us for more information at yvonne@theworldasitcouldbe.org

As background to why this training is important, since its creation in 2013 with the assistance of Frederick Marx, hundreds of youth have benefited from this program which helps them to become leaders in positive problem solving and nonviolent conflict resolution. While it has never been easy to be a young person, the challenges they face today are enormous. It can be observed in rising rates of anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, bullying, and violence against themselves or others.

Here are two sources of information about the growing concerns about our youth:

American Psychological Association April/May 2025
U.S. teens need far more emotional and social support

Annie E. Casey Foundation
Youth Mental Health Statistics July 25, 2025
The Annie E. Casey Foundation report includes a link to information about the factors contributing to Generation Z Mental Health, including:

• Lack of life direction and purpose: The same Harvard study found that half of Gen Z young adults say their mental health is negatively affected by not knowing what to do with their lives, and almost three in five (58%) lacked meaning or purpose in their lives within the past month. Among young people ages 12 to 26, another 2023 Gallup survey found that the biggest driver of Gen Z happiness is their sense of purpose at either school or work, but 43% to 49% of Gen Zers ​“do not feel what they do each day is interesting, important or motivating.”
• A need for connection with others: Sadly, more than two in five (44%) Gen Z young adults feel like they don’t matter to others, and one in three (34%) report loneliness, according to the same Harvard survey. This is corroborated by 2023 Gallup findings that about one in three Gen Zers ages 12 to 26 do not often feel loved (31%) or supported (35%) by others, and a similar share (30%) always/​often feel like nobody knows them well. This is especially troubling given that these young people are going through a vulnerable developmental stage, and evidence indicates that stable, supportive relationships are important for positive mental health.

Here are a few resources about the program, written by Sandy Sohcot and Frederick Marx:

Community Based Rites of Passage – Why and How. 
A virtual presentation of why rites of passage are vital elements to support healthy youth and vibrant communities, with resources to help implement them.

Community Based Rites of Passage – Getting Them Started and Keeping Them Going
A document providing step-by-step guidance on how to implement rites of passage in your community. 

Rites of passages have been essential parts of indigenous, religious and cultural communities throughout time, though have not been fully recognized and valued in our secular, everyday world. We hope this is a start to igniting widespread appreciation for and implementation of this deeply meaningful process. Let us know if you want more information.

We look forward to seeing you at the January training! 

Sandy Sohcot at sandy@theworldasitcouldbe.org
Yvonne Vissing at yvonne@theworldasitcouldbe.org

Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 12:00 noon (ET)

>> Join via Zoom 

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

On Monday, January 26, educator Brian Jones, in conversation with Rethinking Schoolseditor Jesse Hagopian, will discuss his latest book Black History Is for Everyone, a look at how the study of Black history challenges our understanding of race, nation, and the stories we tell about who we are.

Brian Jones is the inaugural director of the Center for Educators and Schools of the New York Public Library, and formerly the associate director of Education at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Jones was an elementary school teacher for nine years and earned a PhD in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center. He has contributed to numerous publications, including Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice and is the author of The Tuskegee Student Uprising: A History.

January 26 at 4pm (PT)/7pm (ET), virtual 

>> Learn more and register

ASL interpretation provided.
Professional development credit certificate provided upon request for attendees.

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

Fri, Jan 23, 2026 | 9:15 AM – 2:30 PM

Join leading scholars, journalists, and community voices for a series of virtual panel discussions exploring how liberal arts expertise shapes our understanding of today’s most pressing civic issues—from the role of the media and constitutional rights to the lived impacts of state-sanctioned violence.

In a moment marked by deep political polarization and urgent questions around immigration enforcement and public safety, this event interrogates how language, law, ethics, and community narratives inform our response to current events.

Engage in rigorous dialogue that bridges academic insight with real-world consequence, and discover how the liberal arts help us make sense of conflict, community, and our shared civic future.

Register to attend one or multiple sessions throughout the day. 

This event is presented as a webinar via Zoom. This event is free and open to the public but registration is required. The webinar will be live from 9:15am – 2:00pm. Guests are welcome to join anytime to view their preferred session. 

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