In some of our professional development at the Institute for Humane Education, participants learn about modern slavery. What they discover often shocks and horrifies them. Many people in developed countries remain unaware of slavery as a contemporary challenge, assuming that such practices ended in the 19th century. And often those who know about modern slavery…
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Every human being has rights. From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, each of us – woman, child, and man – has certain rights that are meant to help us live with sufficiency, safety, and dignity. December is Universal Human Rights Month, an especially poignant…
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Lauren Allison, who earned her M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership with a concentration in Humane Education, teaches middle school English at a school in Porter, Indiana. She discovered humane education while looking for options to complete her master’s. She said, “The moment I read the description of the courses and explored IHE’s website, I knew that…
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by Marsha Rakestraw Today is Columbus Day in the U.S., and this year, as in generations before, elementary schools all across the country will teach another group of children that, “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue” and discovered America. It is a fact that Columbus sailed to North America in 1492 and encountered Native…
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by Marsha Rakestraw As information about bullying becomes more pervasive, schools and others who serve children are striving to create anti-bully/pro-hero environments. Since bullying and exclusion can begin as early as preschool, it’s important that we who are helping children become their best selves begin cultivating humane values in our young children. October is Bullying…
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by Marsha Rakestraw We want our children to be kind and to grow up as caring adults. According to a survey, more than 96% of parents say that moral character is “very important, if not essential.” But how often does that happen, especially when 81% of children surveyed think that happiness or achievement is their…
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by Marsha Rakestraw As digital technology continues to expand, so do apps designed to help us in making choices that do more good and less harm and in creating a better world for all. Here are four apps we’ve recently learned about that can help you in your goals as a conscientious citizen and engaged…
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by Marsha Rakestraw According to the latest figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, “black, Latino, Asian, and Native American students will together make up a narrow majority of the nation’s public school students,” yet the number of children’s books that feature characters of color are shamefully sparse. Studies show that having multicultural literature…
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One of the first lessons we’re taught as young children is about the importance of sharing. Yet examine our actions as adults—the ways we treat each other, nonhuman animals, and the earth—and it may seem like we’ve forgotten how vital sharing is. An important part of raising compassionate, conscientious citizens is introducing humane values such…
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by Marsha Rakestraw One of the most powerful aspects of humane education is its focus on positive solutions. Educating students about global challenges is important, but it’s the integration of connection, creativity, critical thinking, and creating solutions that really feeds and enables students’ hunger for becoming changemakers for a better world. In the Summer 2014…
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