What Should We Teach?

What Should We Teach?

What should we teach students in school? Given the realities of globalization, constantly evolving technologies, rapidly shifting job opportunities, and a planet in peril from climate change, it’s important to re-evaluate the body of knowledge and skillsets that we require children to obtain. It helps to come to this task with a beginner’s eyes, unfettered…

Read more »
What’s Wrong With Education and How to Make It Right

What’s Wrong With Education and How to Make It Right

Most people in industrialized countries have experienced 13 years of formal schooling, so it is not surprising that many consider themselves to be legitimate critics of education. Our feelings about schooling run the gamut. Some believe that if the curriculum and pedagogy were good enough for them, they should be good enough for children today. Others…

Read more »
Reimagining Education: Why Changes are Needed and What We Can Do

Reimagining Education: Why Changes are Needed and What We Can Do

In the United States, the current purpose of schooling is expressed in the mission statement at the U.S. Department of Education website: to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Is this mission sufficient and appropriate for students whose future is threatened by global problems they will be required…

Read more »
Humane Education and Travel: An Interview with Vincie Ho

Humane Education and Travel: An Interview with Vincie Ho

Introduction: Vincie Ho (she/her), a humane educator and social justice advocate, founded RISE Travel Institute in June 2020 with a commitment to engage young people in important conversations around human rights, animal protection, and environmental sustainability in the context of travel. She is also the creator of Paths Crossing, a humane education card game designed…

Read more »
Why the Cycle of Animal Abuse Is Not Only Bad for Animals, It’s Bad for Us

How Barbie Changed a Black Girl’s Life

Zoe Weil is a blogger for Psychology Today, and we share her blog posts here. As a child, I loved Barbie dolls and crafting Barbie stories with my friends. Getting a new outfit for Barbie — especially when I could pick it out myself at the nearby toy store — filled me with joy. But…

Read more »
drops

Seeing your epitaph unfold while you’re alive is a recipe for joy and meaning

Zoe Weil is a blogger for Psychology Today, and we share her blog posts here. Last week, I had the opportunity to experience the power of my epitaph. How is that possible given that I’m not dead yet? It happened because I deliberately wrote my epitaph 10 years ago.  Writing one’s own epitaph isn’t something…

Read more »
family

Feeling Anxious? Turn to Animals During Times of Stress

Zoe Weil is a blogger for Psychology Today, and we share her blog posts here. Enjoy! I’m writing this post during the U.S. election week, where uncertain results and unsubstantiated accusations, coupled with rapidly rising rates of and deaths from COVID-19, are unnerving an already anxious nation. While there are many ways to calm ourselves when…

Read more »

Bringing the “I Can” Mindset to Children around the World: An Interview with Kiran Bir Sethi

Kiran Bir Sethi is the Founder and Director of The Riverside School in Ahmedabad, India. She is also the founder of Design for Change (DFC), the world’s largest movement of change of and by children. DFC is now in 70 countries impacting over 2.2 million children and 65,000 teachers. Kiran has received many awards for…

Read more »
solutionary

Creating a World That Works for All: An Interview with Shariff Abdullah

Dr. Shariff Abdullah is a consultant, author, and advocate for mindfulness, inclusivity, and societal transformation. Shariff’s meta-vision and mission are simple: we can create a world that works for all beings. Shariff promotes heart-centered inclusivity, compassionate dialogue, and a society based on vision. His work is informed by his spiritual practices; growing up with racism…

Read more »
cynthia trapanese

Educating the Whole Child During the Pandemic and Beyond: An Interview with Cynthia Trapanese

Cynthia Trapanese is an elementary school educator and an adjunct faculty member for IHE’s graduate programs where she teaches two electives that she created, Creative Activism and Just Good Food. Cynthia has had previous careers in theater, pediatric chaplaincy, non-profit bereavement work, and lived on a small wooden sailboat for two years in her early…

Read more »