woman looking into rows and columns of screens, each of which has a different person on it

11 Activities to Help Students Understand Different Perspectives

by Marsha Rakestraw In mid-January, two boys, ages 12 and 13, killed more than 500,000 bees and destroyed tens of thousands of dollars of property. Allegedly just for kicks. In December 2017, a young Muslim woman was attacked on a transit train in Vancouver, Canada. Most people watched; only one young man intervened. Incidences of…

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A young person's hands cupping dirt with a green plant growing out of it

6 Resources for Finding Meaningful Solutions to Global Challenges

by Marsha Rakestraw It’s true that the world is facing numerous grave challenges. And we’re exposed to many of them during our 24/7 omnipresent news cycles. Occasionally we’ll also find some positive stories about people doing good. But usually these stories are focused on small acts of kindness or Band-Aid solutions. And while every compassionate…

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people talking

9 Things to Remember When Having Spontaneous Conversations About Ethical Issues

by Marsha Rakestraw I hate conflict. (Even the potential for conflict.) And I’m shy. And I’m not very good at knowing the right thing to say in the moment. Already I have three strikes against me when having in-the-moment conversations with others about global ethical issues. As a humane educator, I want to inspire others…

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class

Student Solutionaries Inspired by Jane Goodall

Felice Clyne-Davis is an IHE grad student and a long-time teacher and humane educator in New York City. Recently her students, members of Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program and piloters of our Solutionary Congress Program, were able to meet Jane and share about their solutionary work for a better world. Felice said: “My students…

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Neil Hornish

I Am a Humane Educator: Neil Hornish

IHE M.Ed. grad, Neil Hornish, is co-founder of the Compassionate Living Project, a nonprofit humane education organization. He is also a humane educator for the Ethical Choices Program and a Systems Project Engineer at United Technologies Aerospace Systems. Neil and his wife, Annie, who live in Connecticut, have been vegan for more than 20 years…

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Edward Best Staff

Introducing Elementary Teachers to Humane Education

by Elizabeth O. Crawford, Ph.D. with Claire Roehl, M.Ed. Speaking at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden declared: “For me, being a teacher isn’t just what I do — it’s who I am. These issues are personal to me.” Like Dr. Biden, I believe that the teacher’s role is not limited…

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book cover

Zoe Weil’s New Book Calls for An Education Revolution

How can we create a just, healthy, and humane world? What is the path to developing sustainable energy, food, transportation, production, and other systems? What’s the best strategy to end poverty and ensure that everyone has equal rights? How can we slow the rate of extinction and restore ecosystems? How can we learn to resolve…

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What Solutionary Learning Can Look Like: 4 Stories

Transforming our educational system won’t be easy, but I believe that it is the most important and strategic path toward creating more just, peaceful, and sustainable societies populated by healthy, happy, successful people. Because the world inevitably becomes what we teach, it’s up to each of us – whether we are teachers, school administrators, parents,…

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We Must Develop Truly Solutionary Solutions

If you conduct a web search for “kid heroes” you’ll discover wonderful children doing great things. It is inspiring to read their stories, learn about their generosity, and know that kindness and compassion flourish. Yet you’ll likely discover that many of these children are involved in efforts that do not seek to change the systems…

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karen patterson

I Am a Humane Educator: Karen Patterson

IHE M.Ed. graduate Karen Patterson works as the director of humane education for the Humane Society of Huron Valley in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she built their humane education program from scratch. Karen spent 10 years as an elementary classroom teacher, where she incorporated humane education into her classroom lessons and activities. She and her…

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