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HRE USA

A network dedicated to building a culture of human rights

Category: News and Updates

Woven Teaching: Curriculum Consultant

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Woven Teaching is looking for experienced teachers and/or curriculum developers to help us improve our teaching materials. Our focus is creating lessons for high school history or social studies students.

Consultant will review and evaluate existing lesson plans and provide feedback about clarity of objectives, pedagogical soundness, sensitivity to issues of identity and culture and relevance and interest to teachers and students.

This is a short-term contract position for approximately 20 hours beginning ASAP and completed by the beginning of September 2023. Tasks can be done remotely and can mostly be completed asynchronously. Compensation is $100/hour. 

Qualifications:

  •     Teaching and/or curriculum development experience and expertise
  •     Commitment to student-centered learning
  •     Commitment to social justice and creating a more inclusive culture
  •     Background in anti-racist, anti-bias, or human rights education
  •     Knowledge of CA standards a plus

If you are interested, please send a resume or short note listing interest, availability, and qualifications to nina@wovenfoundation.org. 

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so interested applicants are encouraged to apply ASAP.

>> Learn more and apply

Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) invites nominations for the 2023 Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards

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Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) invites nominations for the 2023 Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards. These awards were established in memory of Ed O’Brien, pioneer human right educator and valued member of HRE USA who died suddenly in 2015.

There are two awards annually. One recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to human rights education in the United States. The other honors an organization, institution, or program that has made a similarly outstanding contribution to human rights education in the United States. Please review descriptions of past winners on this page.

The 2023 Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards will be presented during International Human Rights Week, December 7, 2023.

Deadline for nominations is September 15, 2023.

Call for Participants for the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Dignity, Freedom & Justice For All; Stand Up in Solidarity show Mondays at 9am (HST) 

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Dignity, Freedom & Justice For All; Stand Up in Solidarity show on Think Tech is a new series ensuring the voice of the people around the planet engaging for realization of rights on the ground around the globe reach everyone on earth. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Dignity, Freedom & Justice For All; Stand Up in Solidarity show will cover all 30 articles of the UDHR featuring advocates, activists, authors, analysts and artists sharing our perspective on protecting all people on our planet. 

We are aiming to feature you and anyone else you would like to include that have committed lifetime for liberation of humanity and can share their perspective for peace and human rights (up to four guests) at 9 a.m. on Monday mornings Hawaii time. 

The television show is 30 minutes and allows us to have good conversation about important initiatives you are involved with to achieve the articles of the UDHR in our communities, campuses, city halls, capitals and global civil society. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Dignity, Freedom & Justice For All; Stand Up in Solidarity show will allow for you and guests to share stories on strategies to respect, protect and fulfill elements of every right and create a culture of human rights. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Dignity, Freedom & Justice For All; Stand Up in Solidarity show will be aired the following day and all participants will receive a vimeo and youtube link so can share widely. 

Please let us know which UDHR article would want to be featured on. 

Please provide

  • Name
  • Title
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Location 

>> Please send an email to joshuacooperhawaii@gmail.com with UDHR 75th TV Show in the subject line.

Vote for HRE USA Steering Committee members!

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Polls are open for HRE USA Steering Committee (SC) Elections! This year we have 5 candidates and 3 open seats! 

>> Vote for Candidates

Steering Committee Candidates for 2023:

  • Hallie McRae, Student, UC Berkeley — statement
  • Elizabeth Schwab, Student, Boston College — statement
  • Jake Skrzypiec, Manchester Public Schools, CT — statement
  • Jess Terbrueggen, Independent Consultant — statement
  • John Terry, Bernards Township School District, NJ — statement

>> Read their candidate statements and bios

Elected Steering Committee members will serve a three-year term beginning in August 2023.

VOTE BY: FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2023

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

Two new episodes with Human Rights Watch Student Task Force on Human Rights Education NOW!

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We are pleased to announce the availability of our latest installment of podcast episodes in Human Rights Education NOW! Human Rights Watch Student Task Force is a youth leadership-training program that brings together high school students with educators and empowers them to advocate for human rights issues, especially the rights of children. Pam Bruns is the Founder and Executive Director Emeritus. Kristin Ghazarians is the Senior Manager. Ren Zhang and Clementine Causse are two students working with the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force.

EPISODE 11: Human Rights Watch Student Task Force, Part One

In Episode 11, Pam Bruns details the origins of the HRW Student Task Force (STF), and Kristin Ghazarians discusses her interest in human rights and eventual engagement with STF. Pam, Clementine, and Ren share their initial interest in human rights work, while Ren and Clementine share their thoughts on the Task Force Student activism programs. Additionally, Pam and Kristin describe their experiences involving school faculty in STF activities, while Pam, Ren and Clementine discuss HRE professional development advances and challenges with faculty, administration and students. Finally, Clementine and Ren expound upon obstacles they have encountered in educating their peers about human rights and climate change.

Topics discussed:

  • Origins of the HRW Student Task Force
  • Interest in human rights and work with the STF
  • STF activism programs
  • Involvement of school faculty in STF activities
  • Professional development advance and challenges 
  • Obstacles in educating peers about human rights and climate change

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.



EPISODE 12: Human Rights Watch Student Task Force, Part Two

In Episode 12, Pam and Kristin discuss human rights and the intersection of local community issues, as well as deploying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a framework for rights conversations. They discuss making personal connections to human rights, and the integration of human rights vocabulary into conversations at home and at school. Ren and Clementine share their thoughts on the importance of humanizing rights issues by describing their experiences related to human rights. They go on to discuss the link between compassion and advocacy; strategies to advance faculty understanding of HRE; and the importance of ongoing professional development and self-study about HRE. Pam and Kristin provide strategies for advancing HRE in the US, while Clementine and Ren share their thoughts on infusing HRE at home through family conversations, and the significance of learning how to engage with people who disagree with one’s views. The group then identifies their most influential role models in HRE, as well as the importance of perseverance in human rights work. Lastly, they each reference an impactful quote which sums up their views about human rights, and an important action they think would advance HRE in the US.  

Topics discussed:

  • Human rights and the intersection of local community issues
  • UDHR as a framework for rights conversations
  • Personal connections to human rights 
  • Integration of human rights vocabulary into conversations at home and school
  • Importance of humanizing rights issues by sharing personal experience
  • Link between compassion and advocacy
  • Strategies to advance faculty understanding of HRE
  • Importance of ongoing professional development about HRE
  • Advancing HRE at home through family conversations
  • Importance of learning how to engage individuals with differing views
  • Influential role models in HRE and significant quotes summing up views on HRE
  • Ideas about important actions which would advance HRE in USA 

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Two new episodes with Sandy Sohot on Human Rights Education NOW!

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Sandy Sohcot is the Director of The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program (TWAICB) since January 2014, which is now a program of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League.  In July 2001, Sohcot became Executive Director of the Rex Foundation and served as ED through 2013.  With an MBA in finance, she has worked on a managerial level since 1976, founding Sohcot Consulting in 1984.  As Principal of Sohcot Consulting, she provided planning, control, and project management expertise to businesses and not-for-profit organizations across a wide range of industries and service sectors.  Sohcot has been an active participant in the small business and women’s communities of San Francisco. She is past president of the San Francisco Small Business Network, Co-Founder of the Women’s Leadership Alliance, and past president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.  In July 1999, the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women honored her with their Women Who Make a Difference Award.  Sohcot has served as a Commissioner on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in March 2004, and completed her term in September 2008.  Sohcot holds a California Lifetime Teaching Credential for Grades K-6.  

Episode 9: Sandy Sohcot, Part One

In Episode 9, Sandy Sohcot, founder and director of the The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program, discusses her initial interest in human rights, and her work with the Women’s Leadership Alliance. She shares her background as the Executive Director for the Rex Foundation, and about the creation of The World As It Could Be. She expounds upon the significance of using the arts to advance human rights education (HRE), and how projects can help students connect in a more visceral way to human rights issues. She touches on the problem of cutting funding for arts education in the USA, and the importance of having administrator advocates in promoting arts and HRE. She then shares a bit about her work with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and the ongoing obstacle to using human rights language in public forums. She further explains the importance of creating language that connects HRE to social justice movements  – emphasizing how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights relates to local issues and can be useful in advancing grassroots activism.

Topics discussed:

  • Initial interest in human rights
  • Women’s Leadership Alliance and connections to HRE
  • Work as the Executive Director for the Rex Foundation
  • Creation of The World As It Could Be
  • Significance of arts in education and its role in advancing HRE
  • Work with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission
  • HRE and its connections to social justice movements

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Episode 10: Sandy Sohcot, Part Two

In Episode 10, Sandy Sohcot, founder and director of the The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program, shares more about her work with the Women’s Leadership Alliance and connections to human rights education (HRE). She discusses her ideas around what she thinks ought to be future priorities in human rights education, as well as collaborations between HRE and social justice organizations. In addition, Sandy shares her ideas around the importance of forging links between HRE and social and emotional learning. She discusses co-authoring a book chapter with Rosemary Blanchard in Mindful Social Studies, and how Eleanor Roosevelt has been her most influential role model. Sandy shares her thoughts around one critical change she thinks would help advance human rights education, and what she sees as the federal government’s weak commitment to educating about human rights. Finally, Sandy shares a 2nd grade project as an example of how educators can integrate human rights education to help young people learn about human rights from an early age.  

Topics discussed:

  • Work with Women’s Leadership Alliance and connections to HRE
  • Future priorities of HRE and collaboration with social justice movements
  • Forging links between HRE and social emotional learning 
  •  Co-authored chapter in Mindful Social Studies
  • Eleanor Roosevelt as a role model for HRE
  • Federal government’s weak commitment to HRE
  • 2nd grade project highlighting the importance of HRE integration

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Disrupting the Grade Imperative in Education Through Critical Pedagogies Embedded into Human Rights Focused Literary Study (71201)

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Session Information: Interdisciplinary Education
Session Chair: Gray Felton

Monday, 19 June 2023 13:55
Session: Session 4
Room: Room B (Live Stream)
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation

This paper presents the story of what happened when I incorporated critical pedagogical practices embedded within a human rights focused unit of study into my literature classroom and examined the effect it had on my students’ perceptions regarding the purpose of their education. After providing a theoretical framework, positioning my study within existing research, and outlining my study, I then explain my methods for selecting research participants and gathering data, ultimately concluding with implications. This study took place within a highly competitive educational system embedded within a Korean American international school setting where grades, GPA ranking, and admissions into Ivy League institutions are perceived by most students to be the fundamental purpose of education. My study broadly begins by examining the learning environment, perceptions, and practices of one class as a whole, eventually narrowing my research to be focused on one student. This student’s story demonstrates that even within highly competitive schooling environments, where the purpose of learning has largely been reduced to rote memorization and GPA ranking, the introduction of critical pedagogies, within a human rights focused unit of study has the potential to disrupt paradigms surrounding the purpose of education; raise critical consciousness; and possibly foster transformative learning, leading to a greater sense of purpose regarding education as a means of connection to the world beyond the self.

Authors:
Jessica Terbrueggen, Teachers College Columbia University, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Ms Jessica Terbrueggen is a School Teacher/Instructor at On sabbatical year doing consulting work in United States

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

Full Monday livestream schedule 

Information on how to attend the livestream sessions

Unicorn Authors: The Changemaker Authors Cohort 

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The program offers up to one year of intensive coaching and writing support to movement leaders, activists, and organizers. Selected applicants will be fully supported in 2023–24 to make significant progress with their project, which can include manuscript completion or having a submittable manuscript or book proposal ready.

We welcome applications from people working toward racial and social justice (for example: activists, organizers, popular educators) who:

  • Are not full-time writers.
  • Have a book in progress or a well-developed book idea.
  • Will consistently set aside time for their writing and attend online coaching appointments, cohort meetings, and a mid-year 5-day writing retreat.
  • Have a history of making community change and working on social justice issues.


>> Learn more and apply

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.