The Human Rights Education Program is designed to introduce international human rights and responsibilities to K-12 students. It uses the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child to help students understand and appreciate common human values, encourages them to apply international standards to their own lives, and supports positive student action to remedy human rights violations in their own communities.  The Advocates' commitment to school-based Human Rights Education rests on a decade of experience working with teachers, community volunteers, and students throughout the Midwest. We promote and develop the practice of human rights education in primary and secondary learning environments across Minnesota through recruitment, training, direction and support of teachers, adult volunteers and emerging student activists. We also create, pilot, and disseminate curricular resources for use in human rights education throughout the U.S. that are based on the field-based human rights work we do locally, regionally and internationally.

Featured publication! Check out the second edition of The Advocates' teaching guide titled, “Energy of a Nation: Immigrants in America.” This valuable learning tool uses easy-to-read charts, tables, graphs, and maps to convey important information about immigration such as: who comes from other countries to settle in the U.S., why they come, the process by which they are allowed in, where they settle, their impact on the economy, and the "nuts and bolts" of U.S. immigration policy.  Immigration is presented within an historical context and through firsthand accounts and role-playing activities. This great resource is aimed for Grade 8 through adult audiences. It can be used in classes discussing current events, civics, economics, geography, history, law, social studies, art, literature, and other subject areas.

Also, click here to access The Advocates' free human rights lesson plans and activities!

Are you an educator interested in bringing human rights education into your classroom or school environment? See our questionnaire to brainstorm avenues for introducing human rights concepts into the school.

Are you interested in exploring human rights issues in your community? See our community questionnaire to begin to brainstorm how human rights may connect to your community group or neighborhood organization.

Click at the bottom of this page to find out more about the education work of The Advocates in our schools, businesses, and communities.