Founded in 2011, Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) is a growing network dedicated to building a culture of human rights by providing an innovative forum for HRE practitioners and supporters to learn, network, and exchange professional expertise and better serve the HRE community.
Over the past 15 years, we have developed relationships with HRE educators and organizations all across the country to further the field of human rights education in the United States. From regional chapters to fellowships, grants, and working groups, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together and look forward to continuing the work in the years to come!
In honor of our members, volunteers, and community, here are some highlights from the past 15 years ✨
2011
Over seventy-five educators, students, higher education faculty, members of non-profit organizations, representatives from national teacher unions, and other stakeholders participated in the “Building a Human Rights Education Strategy for U.S. Schools” convening, which took place at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University on September 16-17, 2011. Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) was founded by these collective, inspirational leaders.
HRE USA became the first independent, multi-stakeholder network focused on promoting human rights education (HRE) in the United States.
2012
HRE USA becomes a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is legally and financially responsible for all our activities. Kirby Edmonds serves as HRE USA’s project director and liaison with CTA.
The first HRE USA Steering Committee is created and the first by-laws approved.
On December 10, 2012, HRE USA opens membership to interested educators and activists.
Regional representatives become an important part of HRE USA outreach efforts in local communities.
2013
HRE USA receives its first grant from the Puffin Foundation.
HRE USA Steering Committee designate the regional network as one of its priority goals.
HRE USA provides input into the Position Statement on Human Rights Education developed by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Human Rights Education Community (HREC) in 2013 after the NCSS Board of Directors (BOD) approves the development of such a statement and directs the NCSS HREC to develop a draft to submit to the board. HRE USA meets in Washington, DC at the time the NCSS BOD meets and authorizes the HREC to develop a position statement draft and invites the NCSS Board and key staff to a reception HRE USA was holding. At the reception, HRE USA members are encouraged by Board president Steve Armstrong to provide input to the HRE Community on the draft
2014
The NCSS Board of Directors approves the Position Statement on Human Rights Education submitted to them by the NCSS HRE Community. The Statement is adopted September 19-20, 2014, and is in place when NCSS held its Annual Conference in Boston, MA. Felisa Tibbits (HRE USA co-founder and Steering Committee member of HRE USA) is the HRE Community’s sponsored speaker at that conference.
A team of New Jersey (NJ) educators convenes to develop the structure and content for this online HRE USA Curriculum Integration Guide. Led by retired NJ social studies supervisor and HRE USA Steering Committee member William R. Fernekes, the team agrees that the guide should consist of lessons and supporting materials that were linked to the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards for Social Studies.
Emily Farell is hired as HRE USA’s first part-time Communications Specialist.
2015
First-ever Stakeholders Report on the status of human rights education as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is published by HRE USA in cooperation with the US Human Rights Network.
The Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards is established in memory of Ed O’Brien, pioneer human rights educator and valued member of HRE USA who died in 2015.
HRE USA lessons are published on the HRE USA website (and at this point, there are 20 model lessons on the website and integrated into the larger HRE USA K-12 HRE Library).
At the request of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, HRE USA leaders grant permission for 7 of the lessons to be mounted on that organization’s website. The lessons can be found on that UN site by searching the Library of Resources using Human Rights Educators USA as the search term.
The first Human Rights Here and Now Bulletin is published.
2016
HRE USA’s first annual report is produced on its 5th anniversary.
2017
HRE USA and the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education (UCCHRE) submit a stakeholder report to the UN Human Rights Council highlighting the need for greater human rights education across Higher Education institutions in the U.S. This report was part of the Universal Periodic Review mid-term U.S. review.
Nancy Flowers is presented with HRE USA’s 1st Lifetime Achievement Award in November 2017. In recognition of her co-founding HRE USA and significant human rights education contribution, HRE USA establishes The Flowers Fund to support emerging human rights education leaders and innovative ideas.
2018
The HRE USA e-monthly newsletter is launched,
Human Rights Educators USA begins collaborating with Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) to gather feedback, field test, improve, and disseminate the Human Rights in National Security: An Educator’s Toolkit, published by AIUSA a year earlier. This free toolkit equips educators with the right tools for discussing post-9/11 national security and human rights issues in the classroom. Further resources were developed, including an introductory video and webinar to introduce the toolkit and provide training for educators on how to use it.
On 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, HRE USA hosts a Human Rights Education Poster Contest —Poster Contest Gallery (hreusa.org).
2019
Every Child, Every Right & the 30th Anniversary Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Ratification Toolkit, Resources, and City Resolutions are curated on the HRE USA website in collaboration with the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force and the HRE USA Children’s Rights Working Group.
The Human Rights Watch Students Task Force receives the 1st Youth Engagement Recognition Award on the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
David Shiman is presented with the HRE USA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in November.
2020
The first new members webinar and slide deck are presented by Steering Committee members.
Your Vote, Your Voice Resource Collection and video are produced with organizational partners, The World As It Could Be, Human Rights Watch Student Task Force, and the National Council for the Social Studies Human Rights Education Community.
As part of our commitment to anti-racism and non-discrimination, HRE USA creates a Racial Justice Resource Collection to help educators engage their students on issues of racism through a human rights lens.
HRE USA hosts its first virtual Human Rights Day Celebration on December 10, 2021, with video recording. Special thanks to keynote speaker, Loretta Ross, for her encouraging and reflective words of wisdom and to Uma Menon for her striking and vital poetry. The event also honors the 2020 Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Award winners, Pam Bruns of Human Rights Watch Student Task Force and the ACT Center for Disability Leadership. The celebration also includes the video, “Voices of Hope: A UDHR Celebration”, a recitation of the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in different languages. The young leaders were connected with diverse HRE USA partner organizations, including ACT Center for Disability Leadership, Generation Human, and the Human Rights Watch Task Force.
2021
HRE USA becomes a Coalition Member in CivXNow and a Champion for Educating for American Democracy (EAD).
As an EAD Champion, HRE USA develops, with EAD staff and support from EAD leadership, an educational brief, detailing the need for HRE as essential preparation to participate in “an inclusive, democratic society.”
The joint HRE USA/EAD brief acknowledges: “A core purpose of the U.S. Constitution, according to the Preamble, is to ‘promote the general welfare.’ When that ‘general welfare’ is not equitably available to some members of society, threats to fundamental human rights are present and need to be resolved to realize the ideals of our democratic republic and its Constitutional democracy.”
The first three-tiered virtual HRE USA Training As Action Series (TAAS) is held for members, engaging more than 40 members and its first HRE USA Training Corps class of 15 members.
HRE USA awards the first three Edmonds Summer Fellowships to Ashleigh Deno, Winnie Ho, and Danielle Lucksted, who produced video reports about their experiences and impacts.
HRE USA welcomes the first Research Scholar, Kaylee Bradford, to its team. She presents HRE USA’s first preservice teacher webinar on how preservice HRE is currently being taught in the United States and to what extent these courses incorporate ‘good practices’ recommended in the field.
HRE USA’s second annual virtual Human Rights Day Celebration in collaboration with the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education (UCCHRE) is held on December 10, 2021 (video recording). The celebration also honors a decade of Human Rights Educators USA as a movement (2011-2021) along with the following award and grant recipients:
2021 Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Award winners: Keith David Watenpaugh and Educators Institute for Human Rights (EIHR).
2021 Flowers Fund Grantees: Natalia Santos Orozco, Ph. D (University of Puerto Rico) and Michael Buckley, Ph. D & David Fletcher, Ph. D (Lehman Center for Peace & Social Justice).
UCCHRE honors its first Human Rights in Higher Education Awardees: Human Rights Education Review and the International Journal of Human Rights Education.
HRE USA 