Several years ago a friend asked me: “What do you want to do with your life?’” I answered that I wanted to help create a more peaceful world for all people, nonhuman animals, and the planet through compassionate means, because I understood the interconnectedness of all living beings. She told me: you are a humane educator, and you should learn about the Institute for Humane Education. When I discovered that an organization existed that could teach me about pursuing my goal, I knew that my dream was not only possible — it was going to come true.
When I first learned about sweatshop labor in high school, I was shocked at the hidden violence I was supporting and knew I had to do something about it. I resolved to learn about and take steps against the hidden violence in our world, and to bring compassionate advocacy to others in order to build a more humane world.
Humane education is more than just what I teach in the classroom; it’s about the way that I live my life every day –- it’s about the choices I make and the way that I treat other people.
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Kim Korona joined IHE’s team as a Workshop Facilitator shortly after she graduated from IHE’s M.Ed. program in 2006. Kim began volunteering at a local homeless shelter at age 12, and by age 16 she was working on global human rights issues in her high school. She earned a B.A. at Goddard College in Vermont, where she studied social change and food politics. This led her to Mexico, where she volunteered at El Centro de Esperanza, a local organization that provides food and services for children, and Instituto del Naturaleza y Socieodad de Oaxaca (INSO), where she worked on conservation projects.
Kim has been involved with social justice issues for as long as she can remember. In college she organized a Rice Not Bombs Campaign, founded an Amnesty International chapter, helped establish the Green Fair-Trade campus coffee shop and organized a three-day Fast for Peace. After spending a summer interning at Farm Sanctuary, her final project focused on Confined Animal Feeding Operations.
Kim worked as a humane educator for the Michigan Humane Society, teaching students about the needs of both people and animals, and challenging students to consider the motivations behind violence and the means for creating a more peaceful society. She also designed and taught their first ever week long summer camps, which were described by attendees as, “the best camp I have ever been to.” She also formed partnerships with organizations such as RecycleDetroit and InsideOut (a literary arts project) to teach in collaboration with them.
Currently, Kim works as a full-time humane educator for HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers) in New York City. She teaches holistic humane education programs for mostly grades K-8, and some high school programs, and also conducts humane education teacher trainings.
