social media

Empower Don’t Paralyze: 6 Tips for Sharing About Global Ethical Issues

by Marsha Rakestraw As I scroll down my Facebook wall, I skim across a horrific image of cruelty that someone has posted, with a caption that merely says “This has to stop!” and no other information. The image is so traumatizing that I quickly skip by it, and even consider hiding that person’s posts from…

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I Am a Humane Educator: Rosana Ng

IHE M.Ed. graduate Rosana Ng was born and raised in Hong Kong and lived for several years in Toronto, Canada. She spent many years in the clothing business, traveling extensively. For her, life was about moving ahead. When Rosana found humane education, she “made a 180-degree turn in life.” Rosana now lives with four dogs…

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Cassandra Sheffman

I Am a Humane Educator: Cassandra Scheffman

by Marsha Rakestraw IHE M.Ed. graduate Cassandra Scheffman was raised with a love of animals and the natural world. She has worked in the environmental nonprofit sector, taught high school and as an environmental educator, and now works as the associate director of adult programs at the First Unitarian Church of Portland in Oregon. Cassandra…

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humane education

Resources for Funding Your Humane Education or Changemaking Project

by Marsha Rakestraw You’re passionate about creating a better world. You have a great idea. But what you lack is the funding to implement your project. Many a great changemaking idea has been stifled by the challenge of finding funding. And in the past, options were limited and often a bit complicated. But with the…

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Close up of eye with face painted as the world

14 Children’s Picture Books About Solutionaries

Sharing stories of people who have made a positive difference in the world is a powerful way to inspire youth to become their best selves and to realize their role as committed citizens and compassionate changemakers. Children’s picture books are a great tool for doing so. Here are 14 children’s picture books about solutionaries. 1. …

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people and animals

16 Children’s Picture Books About People Helping Animals

by Marsha Rakestraw Modeling a message of compassion for others is a vital part of creating a better world for all. Children’s picture books are a valuable means of sharing with younger children examples of people helping those in need, and of inspiring them to think critically about what it means to be a good…

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kids

8 Videos Exploring Empathy

by Marsha Rakestraw Empathy is a key component of humane education, and something our society is increasingly recognizing as essential to our well-being and that of the world. Studies show that we’re innately wired to be empathetic. When we’re able to put ourselves in the place of another, and to imagine the kind of world…

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Most Good Least Harm Book Cover

Most Good, Least Harm

Learn direct ways to become involved with the community, make better choices as consumers, and develop positive messages to live by, and discover that our simple decisions really can change the world.

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Palm oil pods and seeds

Exploring the True Price of Palm Oil

by Marsha Rakestraw Last updated 1/31/19 Look in your shopping cart, and you probably see soap and other beauty products, baked goods and other processed foods, perhaps some cleaning products. What you don’t see is that about half those products contain palm oil, which means they are contributing to the destruction of forests and communities,…

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books

14 Must-Read Books for Activists

by Marsha Rakestraw We become activists when we learn about an issue or challenge and are inspired to take positive action. Teenager Natalie Warne learned about child soldiers when she watched a documentary in class. She was inspired to become an intern for Invisible Children and help get an important law passed. Economist Muhammad Yunus…

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