Over the last eight years, the American Federation of Teachers has partnered with RFK Human Rights on important classroom-centered human rights programs that engage educators across the United States.
The two organizations have now collaborated on a project called "Defenders of Human Rights and Democracy in Your Community."
The focus of “Defenders of Human Rights and Democracy in Your Community” is the theme of Racial Justice.
The project draws upon the AFT and RFK years of experience in bringing human rights and democracy defenders’ stories to life through lesson plans, trainings, photo exhibits, plays, and contests.
Classroom teachers associated with both organizations worked together to create easy to use lessons that help to connect the lives and examples of historic figures with advocacy by defenders today. The lessons feature group classroom projects where students identify and profile human rights defenders and democracy advocates in their own communities.
Local defenders identified by students could include artists, community workers, athletes, politicians, journalists, social activists, or philanthropists who have made a difference in the fight for racial justice in their communities. Classroom work may include making short-videos, building websites, hosting podcasts, or creating art works.
The overall goal is to help students to recognize that in a time of great change, political advocacy in their own communities is a way of highlighting their rights in a democracy and of reinforcing the idea that civic participation on the issue of racial justice is more important than ever.
The two organizations have now collaborated on a project called "Defenders of Human Rights and Democracy in Your Community."
The focus of “Defenders of Human Rights and Democracy in Your Community” is the theme of Racial Justice.
The project draws upon the AFT and RFK years of experience in bringing human rights and democracy defenders’ stories to life through lesson plans, trainings, photo exhibits, plays, and contests.
Classroom teachers associated with both organizations worked together to create easy to use lessons that help to connect the lives and examples of historic figures with advocacy by defenders today. The lessons feature group classroom projects where students identify and profile human rights defenders and democracy advocates in their own communities.
Local defenders identified by students could include artists, community workers, athletes, politicians, journalists, social activists, or philanthropists who have made a difference in the fight for racial justice in their communities. Classroom work may include making short-videos, building websites, hosting podcasts, or creating art works.
The overall goal is to help students to recognize that in a time of great change, political advocacy in their own communities is a way of highlighting their rights in a democracy and of reinforcing the idea that civic participation on the issue of racial justice is more important than ever.