Kristi Rudelius-Palmer, Ph.D., is a human rights education consultant and the Human Rights Educators USA director and co-chair. Her recent projects have included a research study for UNESCO and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; a course and curriculum development for Amnesty International USA and the University of Iceland’s School of Education; and mentoring of Human Rights Watch high school student advisors to infuse human rights into their teaching. Kristi was selected as a Fulbright Specialist in 2023 and collaborated with faculty at the University of Iceland’s School of Education to design and co-instruct the first course on “Human rights: Advancing social and ecological wellbeing.” She is a cofounder of Human Rights Educators USA and the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education and serves on the executive committee of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative—Minneapolis-UNICEF. Kristi codirected the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center (1989–2016), including teaching as Adjunct Associate Professor of Law and directing the International Humphrey Fellowship Program (2003-2016).
In addition to teaching courses on human rights education, rule of law, and leadership at universities, primary and secondary schools, and community-education settings, Kristi presents at numerous international, national, regional, and local conferences. She also was publishing editor for This Is My Home: A Minnesota K–12 Human Rights Education Experience and the Human Rights Education Series of the Human Rights Resource Center (1997–2016). Kristi received the first Edward O’Brien Award for Human Rights Education from Human Rights Educators USA in 2015 and was awarded the University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Award in 2003. Kristi has collaborated with partners in more than 20 countries on human rights education initiatives. Kristi published her thesis on “Stories as Theories: Illuminating Human Rights Education Through the Narratives of Human Rights Educators.”
HRE USA 