Kristina L. Hulvershorn
After a math unit that covered the efficiency of plant-based foods versus animal-based foods, one of my students came to me, hungry for information on how he could eat fewer animal products. He lived in an impoverished neighborhood that is considered a “food desert” because of the lack of healthy food options available. The disconnect between this young man wanting to make a positive choice and the apparent options before him inspired my Independent Learning Project: Eat Green, Save Green: A Guide to Living Vegetarian on a Budget. This guide is made for people without access to specialty stores, living on a fixed budget. My research showed me that it is absolutely possible to eat a healthy, vegan/vegetarian diet, even with serious financial, time, and geographical constraints. I was heartened by the manager of a discount grocery in the poorest neighborhood in Chicago who told me, “We carry mock meats and soy products because the people want them. If they want it, we’ll sell it.” despite the assumption that these people’s lives are too hard to worry about things like health, animals, or the environment.
This June, Ryan graduated from high school and is on his way to college. When I first met him he struggled in school, had a hard time keeping friends, and was a kid that nobody seemed to want around. Having gained his trust, he eagerly engaged me in discussions about issues I held dear. Initially, I thought he was interested in getting a rise out me or practicing his argumentation skills. Gradually, I came to realize that issues related to animals, the environment, and oppression outside of the United States seem to be shielded from students like this one. He was interested in these things because no one else would talk about them to him. People with good intentions often tend to protect people who are already dealing with racism, poverty, violence, and all of the other struggles many of our students face. The danger in this “protection” keeps people isolated and unable to understand the struggles of others. I have found that those of my students who live lives of oppression have a unique and powerful way of connecting to the oppression of others. Engaging in learning about broader issues helps us understand our own issues more clearly and empowers us to use our own lives to help bring about some of the changes we want so badly. This empowerment is what I saw Ryan experience. He went from a frustrated (and frustrating) kid to an engaged, passionate young man who is now fascinated with environmental sustainability and politics. Learning about these issues didn’t upset him, they inspired him and showed him that change is possible. He is living proof of the power of humane education.
I was drawn to IHE when I met (former faculty member) Dani Dennenberg at an animal rights conference. I knew that as an activist, my interactions with people at protests, demonstrations and even leafleting, lacked the richness that people need in order to create positive change in their own lives. As an educator, I knew that teaching and learning required a lot more than what most activists are trained to offer. IHE helped me understand what was missing from my approach and has helped show me how to both live and teach humane messages that will last and grow. I hear so often now how interested people are in what I teach because they see that I live it every day. Both my life and teaching now have that richness I knew I needed to become more satisfied and effective.
I just finished my M.Ed in spring 2008, and I am currently creating a humane education non-profit called e.t.h.i.c (Empowerment Through Hope, Inspiration and Compassion). I am also working as a special education consultant for a high school turn around project in Chicago Public Schools as I try to sprout e.t.h.i.c. into a functional non-profit. Although I am sad to leave the classroom full time, I am thrilled to devote more time to empowering young people to understand the significance of their actions and ideas on the world around them and to inspire them to live more compassionate lives.
March 16, 2010 - 2:00 pm | Location: University of Maine - Orono (100 Neville Hall)
Please join us for an inspiring talk with Zoe Weil at the University of Maine in Orono. Co-sponsored by the Peace Studies and Sociology departments. Learn about the ways in which your everyday choices, your work, your activism, and your volunteerism can do the most ...
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