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HECP Course Overview

The distance-learning Humane Education Certificate Program consists of five core content courses and a practicum.

Introduction to Humane Education: This course introduces students to humane education and explores innovative educational philosophies and methods, exciting and effective ways to approach teaching and learning, and positive communication skills and conflict resolution. Forming the foundation for the issues courses that follow, Introduction to Humane Education invites students to examine the ways in which they can more fully model their message as an educator and bring the underlying concepts of good communication and teaching to their students as they incorporate the important issues of human rights, environmental ethics, animal protection, and culture.

Environmental Ethics: This course covers a range of environmental issues, such as global climate change, population, endangered species, pollution, and resource and energy use. It offers a solution-oriented approach to environmental challenges, balancing the study of environmental problems with the cultivation of positive ideas for creating sustainable and restorative systems that benefit people, animals, and the earth itself. Environmental Ethics examines how we might teach about environmental challenges in a comprehensive manner that grounds them within issues of culture, human rights, and animal protection.

Animal Protection: This course covers a variety of animal issues, such as animal agriculture, experimentation, hunting and trapping, and companion animal concerns. It explores different philosophies regarding the inherent rights of other sentient animals to be free from exploitation and abuse, and encourages students to grapple with and determine for themselves their own ethics regarding nonhuman animals. As with all courses, Animal Protection examines the ways in which humans, animals, and ecosystems can be protected and respected for the good of all and helps students develop techniques for teaching about complex issues in a positive manner that invites dialogue and positive solutions.

Human Rights: This course examines a range of human rights issues, including escalating worldwide slavery, child and sweatshop labor, genocide, and civil, gay/lesbian, disability and women's rights. It also examines acts of human courage, compassion, and kindness and invites students to find in themselves and others sources of deep and abiding humaneness, both as a model of human goodness, and as examples for exploring the ways in which humans can solve our conflicts and stop oppressing and exploiting others. As in the other courses, Human Rights examines the links between various forms of cruelty and uncovers solutions that will benefit all people, while also benefiting the environment and other animals.

Culture and Change: This course explores the many ways in which cultural norms influence ideas, beliefs, and actions. Covering consumerism, media, advertising, globalization, public relations, economics, and politics, this course provides a foundation for understanding the ways in which people, and the choices they make, are shaped by their culture. Culture and Change enables students to become aware of the cultural influences in their own lives and to become effective at giving others the tools to think critically and creatively. By recognizing the ways in which our thoughts and behaviors are often molded by culture, we gain the ability to determine more consciously our behaviors and actions.

Each course includes readings, videos and assignments that will educate you on a wide range of topics and offer insight into solutions to relevant problems. You will become well-versed not only in the individual content areas, but in the connections that link them.

Practicum: In order to become an effective humane educator, students need practice implementing what they have learned. A teaching practicum enables students to apply what they’ve studied by designing and presenting a humane education program. The practicum may be a series of classes, a course, a week-long camp, a teaching website -- even a business plan for a humane education company. The practicum must be approved by IHE faculty and can be done at any point during the program.

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Watch and share IHE President, Zoe Weil's TEDx talk -- an inspiring vision of how to create a just, compassionate, healthy world for all through solutionary education.

HECP Course Overview

MOGO (Most Good) Workshop - Surry, ME
July 14, 2012 - 8:30 am to July 14, 2012 - 5:00 pm | Location: Institute for Humane Education
Live your values. Change the world. Choose MOGO! Our MOGO (most good) workshop is part retreat, part personal development, part educational experience, and 100% invaluable to anyone who wishes to make their lives a manifestation of their greatest vision for a more pea...
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