Humane Educator’s Toolbox: Changing Systems Through Design

Many of us make the choices we do because we’re trying to do the right thing – we want to do the most good and least harm for people, nonhuman animals, and the earth. But what we think we know about making more sustainable choices is often based on incomplete information. And we’re often limited…

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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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rainforest in the classroom

Why We Need Humane Education: Students Need to Be Solutionaries

by Amanda Schmidt In 1995 when I was eight years old, we moved from Palmdale, California, across the country to Buffalo, New York, where I still currently live. Some of my best memories are from living in California. My early experiences there laid the foundation that has led me to humane education. Palmdale is a…

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Why We Need Humane Education: 35.8 Million Slaves

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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12 Children’s Picture Books about Human Rights Issues

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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I Am a Humane Educator: Lauren Allison

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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Inspiring Changemakers to Find Solutions with the Rethink Challenge

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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Resources: Pillars of Humane Education

Pillars of Humane Education

This brief activity is a great icebreaker for groups of humane educators or student (or adult) solutionaries to help them define their visions.

Recommended: grades 8 and upTime: 30-45 minutes

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humane education

3 Sources for Funding Your Humane Education Project

by Marsha Rakestraw Many a great changemaking idea has been stifled by the challenge of finding funding. In the past, options were limited and often a bit complicated. But with the exponential growth of our digital world, it’s becoming a bit easier to gain traction in financing smaller projects. Here are three sources to help…

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Two children sitting at a table reading picture books and surrounded by bins and shelves of children's books

19 Lists of Children’s Picture Books for Your Humane Education Classroom

by Marsha Rakestraw Children’s books are a terrific tool for sharing positive values, teaching students (in age-appropriate ways) about global ethical issues, and inspiring them to take positive action. They are a powerful part of any classroom and curriculum. Here’s a round-up of 19 of our lists of suggested children’s picture books on a variety…

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