Protecting Democracy through Civic Learning and Human Rights Education — Educator Voices on the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Protecting Democracy through Civic Learning and Human Rights Education
– Educator Voices on the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR)

A Webinar from Human Rights Educators USA (https://hreusa.org )
Wednesday, March 8, 3:00 pm PT/6:00 pm ET. Check your time zone.
Zoom link to be announced as the webinar agenda is finalized.
This webinar features educators from across the United States who are successfully integrating human rights education (HRE) into the civic learning experiences of students at diverse grade levels. They will share their experiences of using HRE concepts and instructional practices to help students connect with the skills, values and practices that are essential for participants in an inclusive, democratic society. Strategies for engaging youth participation and fostering youth leadership are a particular theme of the webinar.
Key questions addressed:
• What are democratic civic values and behaviors?
• What is human rights education and how does it support the understanding and practice of democratic civic values and behaviors?
• How can HRE be effectively integrated into an overall program of civic education at all grade levels?
• What are some strategies for engaging youth participation and fostering youth leadership in building a human rights supportive civil society?

The presenters and facilitator will share resources for putting HRE/democratic infused civics lessons into their programs with attenders. The webinar will be presented via Zoom and will be recorded so it can be shared with those who sign up for the webinar. There will be an opportunity for attendees to submit questions to the panel.

This presentation is part of Human Rights Educators USA’s year of Human Rights, honoring the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the theme Protecting Democracy, Promoting Human Rights

Webinar Panel Participants:

Rosemary Blanchard, founding member of Human Rights Educators USA (hreusa.org) and the Human Rights Education Community of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). She is emeritus Associate Professor of Education from California State University Sacramento and Academic Research Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of New Mexico Rosemary is the New Mexico Regional Representative of HRE USA.

Sandy Sohcot, founding director of The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program (TWAICB), https://www.theworldasitcouldbe.org/ ), an arts-based program based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, located in Alameda County, CA. Sandy is an HRE USA Steering Committee member.
AND
Natalia Anciso, visual artist and educator in Oakland, CA. She currently teaches 2nd grade at Cesar Chavez Elementary school in San Francisco and has been a part of TWAICB Program since 2011.
Sandy and Natalia have teamed up to create and conduct I Am Me and I Am Part of Us, an arts-based project introducing second grade students to core principles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Social and Emotional Learning skills through arts, performance and creativity.

Jessica Terbrieggen, international education specialist with over fifteen years of experience working globally with diverse populations in the United States, China, Ecuador, and South Korea at the intersection of human rights and the literary arts. Jessica has served as a reviewer of the implementation of the Council of Europe Charter on Educating for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education in post-pandemic Europe. She is the HRE USA Regional Representative for Washington, DC.

John Terry, Supervisor of Social Studies for the Bernards Township School District in Basking Ridge, NJ. John is New Jersey Regional Representative of HRE USA and has participated in the NJ state chapter of HRE USA through which he has led efforts in school districts to integrate human rights into their current curricula and to design stand-alone courses in human rights..