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 for grades 8 and up. Time: 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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Great Peacemakers: True Stories From Around the World

“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it.” ~ David Suzuki “When you have a vision, when you know that what you are doing is good for the people, then you cannot be stopped.” ~ Wangari Maathai “To stop any suffering, no matter how small, is a great action of peace.”…

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plastic pollution

I Taught Kindergarteners About Plastic Pollution, and They Are Eager to Be Part of the Solution

by Elizabeth O. Crawford, Ph.D. During Earth Week 2018, I was a guest presenter to kindergarteners attending Island Montessori School (IMS) located in the beautiful, coastal town of Wilmington, North Carolina. As teacher educators often remark, classroom visits rejuvenate and inspire our work preparing the next generation of educators. When we spend time with children…

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7 Groups to Help Empower Young Solutionaries

Young people are hungry to create a better world for people, animals, and the earth, but we’re not born knowing how to do that. Fortunately there are numerous organizations whose mission is to help educate, inspire, and support youth in their efforts to become effective solutionaries. Here are 7 just we wanted to highlight: Do…

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