I. INTRODUCTION OF PARTNERS IN HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION



Mission Statement



     Partners in Human Rights Education is a program designed to introduce international human rights and responsibilities to students of all ages. The Partners Program uses the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child to help students to understand and appreciate common human values. Through the involvement of volunteer teachers, community resource people, lawyers, the program encourages students to create and implement projects that foster respect for human rights.

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Purposes



     To address the increasing intolerance and violence in our society and the world, Partners in Human Rights Education has three specific purposes:

1.     To provide a universally accepted human rights values framework for the participants to begin questioning how to make the world a better place in which to live.

2.     To create community teams which support teachers in facilitating an environment that encourages students to respect human dignity and to become human rights activists in local, national, and international communities.

3.     To foster connections between learning about human rights in the classroom and practicing human responsibilities in the community through action projects.

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Partners Program Overview



The Partners for Human Rights Education Program is a grassroots education initiative that was established by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center and Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights in 1992. Designed to introduce international human rights and responsibilities to students of all ages (with a primary focus on elementary and secondary school students), the Partners Program uses the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to help students understand and appreciate common human values. Each fall the Partners Program trains three-person teams of volunteer teachers, lawyers, and community resource people to go into classrooms and use interactive teaching methods to:

create community teams who will support teachers in encouraging students to respect human dignity and to become human rights defenders in local, national, and international communities;

provide participants with a universally accepted human rights framework from which to begin questioning how to make the world a better place in which to live;

foster connections between learning about human rights in the classroom and practicing human responsibilities in the community through action projects.

During the 1995-96 school year, 350 volunteers reached more than 4,500 students in 100 classrooms in Minnesota with the message of the importance of human rights and responsibilities.

The Partners Program teams develop lessons and activities both on their own and with the help of curriculum from the National Human Rights Education Resource Library at the Human Rights Center. Lesson plans and action projects are shared with participants through the Explorer newsletter, enrichment workshops, and the World Wide Web.

A Community Action! Fund has been established to provide a unique means of integrating classroom learning about human rights with hand-on activities in the community. Through Community Action! Projects, students can more deeply understand the meaning of human rights in their own lives and the lives of others. One example of a Community Action! Project is a collaboration between KBEM radio's "School News" program and various classrooms. They are developing a regular series of classroom reports focused on educating the general public about human rights and responsibilities.

Each May the Partners Program team participants, students, and families celebrate their many accomplishments at the Human Rights Fair. In 1996, more than 700 Partners participated in the Fair's 13 workshops, including an interactive play and art displays and videos presented by schools attending the fair.

The Partners Human Rights Fellowship Program was established to provide team participants with opportunities to learn more about human rights and obtain practical human rights training. The Program awards 10-12 grants each summer to work with human rights organizations. Partners Program fellows bring their experiences back to the classrooms with a new perspective and understanding of human rights. The fellowships are designed to foster links between the state of Minnesota communities and human rights concerns and activities throughout the world.

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Partners Program History



Partners in Human Rights Education was only an idea in the summer of 1992. Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights and the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center were approached by two lawyers interested in teaching primary and secondary school students about human rights. The two organizations set up a focus group of teachers to hear first-hand whether a need existed for resource people to teach about human rights in the classroom.

Several community leaders designed the project with the help and encouragement of local teachers who believed that outside resource people teaching basic human rights would enhance their existing curriculum, especially cultural diversity programs. The program was first implemented in Fall 1992. Thirty-two volunteer lawyers were trained by the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights and the Human Rights Center to teach human rights to primary and secondary students. The volunteers were then linked with teachers to form 20 teams. The teams reached approximately 600 students in 1992-1993.

Due to the great success of the pilot project, in 1993-94 the Partners Program trained over 180 additional lawyers, teachers, and community resource people to work in three-person teams in K-12 classrooms. Each participant attended a three-hour Partners Program training session. Four training sessions were held in the Twin Cities. Additional training sessions were held in Brainerd and Duluth. The 60 teams taught more than 3,500 students about human rights and responsibilities. The students applied what they learned in the classroom through community action projects.

This success continued in 1994-95. The Partners Program trained an additional 243 lawyers, teachers, and community representatives. The Program expanded beyond K-12 to include Early Childhood Family Education and Adult Education classrooms. Each participant attended a four-hour training session. Four training sessions were held in the Twin Cities, with an additional training held in the Fall of 1994 for 25 students in a business and law class at St. Thomas University in St. Paul. More than 85 teams taught in Twin Cities classrooms reaching more than 4,000 students. Training sessions were also held in Bemidji, Grand Rapids, and St. Cloud. More than 20 teams taught approximately 500 students in Greater Minnesota in 1994-95. The Partners Program continued to emphasize community action projects in 1994-95 and expanded its program by developing relationships with the local media, offering follow-up workshops on human rights topics to Program participants, and offering follow-up workshops for Partners Program students.

In 1995-96, 109 new team participants joined the Program. New teachers, lawyers, and community representatives were trained in one of 9 introductory training sessions. These new members, along with the 240 participants returning from last year, taught approximately 4,500 students. The Partners Program held 3 trainings for continuing participants, 6 enrichment workshops, 1 student workshop, and 16 site visits. The Partners Program also held its first trainings in Worthington, Minnesota and in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1995-96, the second annual Human Rights Fair was held and over 600 students attended. More than thirteen workshops were offered, including an interactive play, art displays, and videos presented by schools attending the Fair. Students also learned how to make dream catchers, create human rights poems, and paint faces with peace symbols.

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1992 Teachers' Focus Group


WHAT is Partners in Human Rights Education?

The initial focus group of teachers decided that there was a need for resource people to teach students about human rights and responsibilities. However, these teachers encouraged a consultative, on-ongoing relationship be developed between the teacher, the resource people, and the students. Thus, although we do have a speakers' bureau available, the team approach is a unique aspect of Partners in Human Rights Education.

WHO are the Partners?

The teachers in the focus group were asked "who should be involved?" They unanimously voiced, "all interested teachers - no matter what grade level." Therefore, wherever there is an interested teacher, the Partners Program is happy to start a team. Although the Partners Program began with only lawyer-teacher teams, the following year a community representative was added to the team. Partners in Human Rights Education teams teach students of all ages with a focus on elementary and secondary classrooms.

WHERE are Partners teams teaching?

The teachers in the initial focus group also encouraged the Partners Program to not remain in only one school. Therefore, this Program extends beyond one school district and is in numerous Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota schools.

WHEN do Partners teams teach?

Team members commit to a school year of teaching. Each team member goes into the classroom approximately one time per month or 8 times in a school year. Team members are matched according to the time commitment they can give, the grade level they are interested in teaching, and the location of interest.

HOW do Partners teams teach about human rights education?

The focus group suggested that the Partners Program not develop one set curriculum and, instead, provide a framework for teaching about human rights. Therefore, teams are given a set of cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal goals based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which a person educated about human rights should follow. Teams and students develop the knowledge and skills behind the human rights attitudes. Using the framework of the UDHR, teams teach students about human rights and responsibilities. Students apply what they learn in their local community through human rights action projects. All teams are encouraged to use interactive teaching methods to engage students.

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Human Rights Education Objectives


KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

Participants in the Partners in Human Rights Education Program will aspire to put their learning into action by:

1.     Recognizing that every human is born with the inalienable human rights listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2.     Distinguishing between civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights through an understanding of the International Bill of Human Rights.

3.     Defining key human rights terms and applying them appropriately. Lists assume previous grades knowledge of terms. Key human rights terms include:

Pre-K to Grade 4

Grades 5-8

Grades 9-12

Responsibility (Personal, Social, Legal, and Moral

Fairness

Discrimination

Equality

Order

Freedom

Justice

Rules

Law

Covenant

Nationality

Citizenship

State Sovereignty

Diversity

Discrimination

Genocide

Immigrant

Refugee

Asylum

Participation

Democracy

Global Community

4.     Using language respectful of others race, sex, religion, physical strength, size, features, friendship groups, age, culture, disability, financial status, clothing, classroom performance etc. and actively encouraging others to do so.

5.     Working cooperatively with others and identifying and applying appropriate strategies for problem solving.

6.     Sharing resources with the community.

7.     Recognizing a diversity of opinions and making a concerted effort to understand them.

8.     Taking responsibility for own values and actions.

9.     Participating in democratic decision making as a citizen of a local, national, and international community.

10.     Analyzing a human rights problem, developing potential solutions, and taking action in a way which upholds the human rights of all parties involved.

ATTITUDINAL OBJECTIVES

 

(Outlined with Groupings of the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Participants in the Partners in Human Rights Education Program will aspire not only to learn about human rights and to practice human responsibilities, but to internalize these attitudes as a part of their personal ethical framework. Below each grouping of Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a specific corresponding value. Sample activities, which apply attitudinal objectives, are also provided.

Articles 1 and 2 (equality & discrimination)

The individual respects self and others, regardless of situation, race, sex, physical strength, size features, friendship groups, age, culture, disability, financial status, clothing, classroom performance. She or he is concerned about the equal treatment of all and takes pride in her/his own contributions as well as the contributions of others.


Sample Activities:

...identify and question assumptions or stereotypes about others.
...describe a period and place when discrimination has had a significant impact on a group in society
...analyze the mitigating circumstances that contributed to a period of legalized or socially sanctioned discrimination
...list the steps that were taken to solve a discrimination problem, or that could be used to solve a problem of social, legal, economic, or political discrimination
...differentiate structures of power
...compare sources of power within and across situations
...depict in words or drawings the actual of potential sources of power that can exist in a given time or place

Article 3, 4, and 5 (slavery, inhuman & degrading treatment)


The individual believes that all human beings are equal and therefore should not be subjected to any form of slavery, inhuman or degrading treatment. She believes it has a negative impact on individuals enslaved as well as on the societies which condone that behavior. She values acting in a way that promotes the safety and well-being of herself and others.


Sample Activities:

...explain the emotional and psychological implication of inhuman and degrading treatment on an individual or community, using historical examples or research in current psychology or sociology
...compare slavery in different time periods or in different places, and support a few generalizations about the conditions that elicit oppression of a particular group or individual

Articles 6 - 11 (equal treatment before the law)

The individual is sensitive to the importance of all others being treated fairly. He is concerned when another person or group is being treated unfairly. He holds the same rules for himself with which he expects others to comply. The individual believes that everyone is entitled to a fair trial.


Sample Activities:

...apply the UDHR to determine the legal rights entitled to a person or group
...interpret a historical period of legalized discrimination in terms of violations to the human rights of the individuals involved
...create a set of rules to govern the classroom which support the UDHR

Article 12 and 17 (privacy)

The individual respects the right of all to personal space and possessions. She believes that everyone should be free from teasing, mockery or invasive behaviors. She values protection for herself and others.


Sample Activities:

...examine two court cases in U.S. history that address the right to privacy and compares the rationale used in each of these cases
...hypothesize about tensions that might arise about the right to privacy in a time of war
...defend a position on the governments right to know versus the citizens right to privacy in a time of war
...researche U.S. governmental policies that have infringed on the individuals right to privacy
...display a historical perspective on conceptions of privacy in American society through a speech, essay, debate, skit etc.
...write a persuasive essay on the topic of privacy in relation to a health or medical concern
...investigate and hypothesize about 21st century privacy issues in connection with the Internet

Articles 13-15 (free movement, asylum, nationality)

The individual values her citizenship and nationality and believes all others are entitled to the same. She respects an individual's choice to come and go freely between countries, as well as to change her country of citizenship. She believes in offering protection to people who are being persecuted.


Sample Activities:

...analyze governmental policies as they relate to immigrants, refugees and/or individuals seeking asylum
...investigate the social services provided for recent immigrants to the local community
...develop a proposal for improving the services available to new immigrants
...list some of the reasons people may leave a country and the struggles they face when they arrive in a new country
...create a timeline tracking the movement of a particular refugee group to America
...compare and contrast, using examples from the present and the past, the difference between being a refugee and being an immigrant
...explain the rights and responsibilities connected with their own citizenship
...contrast the rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship in their time and country to citizens of a different country or time
...analyze the rights of an individual accused of war crimes in seeking asylum
...analyze the rights of a draft dodger in seeking asylum

Article 16 (marriage and family)

Individuals respect the right of all people to enter into relationships of their own choosing, and also the nature of the relationships chosen for marriage, family, and friendship. They believe that males and females enter into relationships as equals, and remain so regardless of the status of their relationship.


Sample Activities:

...researche the history of family, economics of family life, the history of gay rights
...list the factors contributing to an ongoing domestic violence situation and the steps that a person should take if they are trying to get out of a dangerous domestic situation
...interview a social worker about a particular issue in families today and present their findings to the class in the forum of a panel discussion

Articles 18, 19 and 20 (Freedom of belief, religion, opinion, information, and association)

The individual respects the right of alternative and opposing points of view to exist. He values other points of view and the freedom of all to choose their own beliefs, religion, opinions, information and associations.


Sample Activities:

...write and perform a play that voices several perspectives on an issue, and that establishes a structure for solving a problem together
...engage in a structured controversy on a pre-determined topic, alternately debating opposite sides of the issue

Article 21 (political rights)

The individual believes in the importance of democratic decision making and in acting as a citizen of a local, national, and international community.


Sample Activities:

...conduct a debate on a local community issue after researching the various perspectives on it, derive a class consensus and solicit a local governing body to enact their solution
...research an issue and inform their local, state, or national representative about their findings and the action that they would like taken
...participate in student government

Article 22 & 25 (personal development within society)

The individual desires to improve the welfare of all members of her local, state, and global community. She believes that all people can and should live in dignity, and therefore values efforts to meet individual needs as they arise.


Sample Activities:

...sponsor a dance to raise money for a local foodshelf- students create a budget for the event, delegate responsibilities fairly among themselves, develop a marketing strategy, and run the event
...volunteer for a local social service provider- keep a daily log of skills utilized, knowledge acquired, and the impact of the work on the local community

Article 23 & 24 (economic rights: work, labor, rest, leisure, food/shelter)

The individual values basic economic rights that each individual has, including the right to vacation, limited work hours and equal pay.


Sample Activities:

...graph changes in the standard of living across a period of history for various cultural or racial groups
...research the child labor laws of this country and the way in which these impact the actions of U.S. multinational companies abroad

Article 26 (education)

The individual aspires to actively support others in their learning and regards his learning and his own resposnibility. He believes that education is fundamental to the functioning of society and supports equal access for all to education in his society.


Sample Activities:

...use cooperative learning for any task -- assign roles, have students evaluate their collective as well as individual work
...complete individual learning projects over the course of a semester, and then have students teach others, in their own class, or by visiting another school

Article 27-29 (cultural and social rights)

The individual appreciates the cultural life of the community. She highly regards the involvement and inclusion of all people in the cultural life of the community.


Sample Activities:

...create a map of all the arts organizations available to the public in deifferent regions -- hypothesize where residents may have difficulty in accessing the arts and devise a plan for how this problem might be addressed, propose the plan to the appropriate venues
...study the portrayal of different groups in popular culture over time, how has the portrayal of different groups contributed to their ability to participate in the cultural life of the community
...design a mural for a blighted area of the community, raise funds to cover the expense of creating the mural and put the mural into place
...choose an area with a unique cultural heritage and investigate the influences of that heritage on life in the community

Article 30 (right of rights)

The individual believes that everyone should receive all of the above rights regardless of their individual values.


Partners in Human Rights Education Staff


Kristi Rudelius-Palmer
Director, Partners in Human Rights Education

Johanna Allayne Ronnei
Program Coordinator, Partners in Human Rights Education

Maria Baldini
Student Coordinator, Partners in Human Rights Education

Jen Orr
Student Coordinator, Partners in Human Rights Education

Blessing Rugara
Student Coordinator, Partners in Human Rights Education

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Partners in Human Rights Education Executive Committee


Phyllis Tousey Frederick
Neighborhood Justice Center

Brien Getten
Minnetonka Middle School

Sid Lewis
Education Compliance Officer

Yolanda Maya
Crazy Horse Defense Project

Connie Overhue
West Central Academy

Kristi Rudelius-Palmer
Director, Partners in Human Rights Education

David Weissbrodt
University of Minnesota Law School & Human Rights Center

Barb Frey
Advocates for Human Rights

Brad Lehrman
Portage Capital, Inc.

Linda Loverude
A World of Difference/Anti-Defamation League of B'Nai B'Rith

Traecy McJilton
Expo Elementary

Rama Pandey
University of Minnesota School of Social Work

Natalie Detert
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

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Partners in Human Rights Education Advisory Board

(All members of the Executive Committee are also on the Advisory Board)


Elsa Battica
Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights

Pat Bellanger
Legal Aid

Betty Berger
Franciscan Sisters

Jennifer Bloom
Minnesota Center for Community Legal Education

Margo Bonneville
US WEST

Natalie Detert
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

Michael Dugar
Adolescent Development Program

RoAnne Elliot
Minnesota Department of Education

Arvonne Fraser
Senior Fellow Emeritus, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

The Honorable Hubert H. Humphrey, III
Minnesota Attorney General

Susan Mackay
Mackay and Associates

Andrea Northwood
Minnesota Center for Victims of Torture

Wende O'Brien
Attorney at Law

Dwight Oglesby
Attorney at Law

Bill Rudelius
Carlson School of Management

Ken Simon
Olson Middle School

Meredith Sommers
Resource Center of the Americas

Mary Swenson
Resource Center of the Americas

David Weissbrodt
University of Minnesota Human Rights Center

Gwen Willems
University of Minnesota Department of Education

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Roles and Responsibilities of the Partners



Teacher

Provides the classroom setting, instructs the students in human rights principles, and assists the team in developing the classroom instructional model.

Lawyer

Assists the team and students in connecting human rights issues and social action activities to the applicable legal foundations.

Community Resource Person

Assists the team and students with a social action component, facilitating the application of human rights principles into the real life situations of the students.

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Support Services for Partners


Sharing & Enrichment Workshops

     All participants are encouraged to attend an additional Sharing & Enrichment Workshop later in the school year. At the Enrichment Workshops, participants share ideas and successes then break off to attend in depth sessions on relevant human rights topics. Two Enrichment Workshops in the Twin Cities and one Enrichment Workshop in each of the Greater Minnesota and North Dakota cities is held.

Newsletters


     The Explorer . The Explorer provides a human rights calendar gathered from 30+ human rights organizations, book and curricula resource suggestions for Partners Program participants, lesson plans, Community Action! Projects, and fellowship experience reports. The Partners Program mails each participant 6 editions of The Explorer newsletter each school year. Each issue takes approximately 30 hours to contact human rights organizations for calendar events, solicit lesson plans and Community Action! Projects from approximately 10 participants, and prepare the edition for publication.

     Human Rights Education: The Fourth R . Two issues of The Fourth R are completed each year and edited by team participants. The Partners Program attempts to integrate Enrichment Workshops with the topics selected for this publication when possible.

     The Observer . The Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights publishes 6 editions of The Observer each year. The Partners Program has stories in at least four of these issues each year. Partners Program team members receive all issues and are able to learn about the other human rights projects of the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights.

Curriculum Libraries


     The Partners Program would like to increase the number of individuals serviced each year by the National Human Rights Education Resource Library and the Greater Minnesota Support Libraries. The National Human Rights Education Resource Library, the largest of its kind, serves Partners Program participants by providing the individuals with lesson and action ideas. The Resource Library currently contains over 1,000 curriculum and related resources on more than 60 topics, including children's rights, persons with disabilities, the environment, indigenous rights, and refugees. These resources assist Partners Program participants and others in designing lesson plans and human rights activities for children in their classrooms. In addition to the main Resource Library in the Twin Cities, the Partners Program also continues to maintain human rights curriculum libraries in Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Remer, St. Cloud, and Worthington, Minnesota, as well as in Milwaukee and Riverfalls, Wisconsin. The team members in those communities identified the best location for these human rights education curriculum and videos, including public libraries, school libraries, a resource media center, and community centers. These libraries contain materials for teaching all grade levels.

St. Martin's Table Bookstore


     The Partners Program has worked out a special arrangement with the St. Martin's Table Bookstore to sell Human Rights Education Curriculum Resources and Books. The Bookstore offers Partners Program team members a 5% discount and donates 5% of the revenue on all human rights education materials to the Partners Program.

Web Site


     The Human Rights Center currently administers the largest human rights World Wide Web site in the world. This site has more than 1000 core human rights documents in various languages and continues to expand its library. The site has been visited more than 250,000 times in a six-month period. This collection is available 24-hours per day, seven days per week, without charge on the INTERNET through the World Wide Web. The material can be read, downloaded, and printed. The Partners Program is working to develop its personal page and expand the Human Rights Education curriculum resources on the web site. The Partners Program would like the HRE web site to support teachers, students, and other team participants throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Although this page is still being updated, the web should support individuals to generate new ideas, share lessons and community action activities, and provide additional resources. In addition, the Partners Program has been working with Mighty Media to provide opportunities for educators and students to discuss common concerns and dreams about human rights issues worldwide.

Documentation Center


     The Human Rights Center has the largest collection of books, pamphlets, and documents on human rights in the United States. The collection grows at the rate of about 10 shelf feet and five file cabinets per year. The Library and Documentation Center are available to human rights advocates, refugee advocates, environmental advocates, asylum-seekers, students, teachers, scholars, and others.

Community Action!


     Community Action! Projects. An essential component of the Partners Program is involving the students in Community Action! Projects. Students are given the opportunities to apply what they are learning in the classroom through human rights education lessons and activities out into the community. Community is referred to as any individuals outside of the classroom. The term community may refer to another classroom in the school or an organization in the local, national, or international area. In collaboration with the Partners Program, KBEM plans to include a regular series of classroom reports focused on human rights in the classroom, providing Partners Program teams with an opportunity to share their activities with the public.

     Community Action! Manual. By completing and distributing the Community Action! Project Manual, the Partners Program hopes to foster connections between learning about human rights in the classroom and practicing human responsibilities in the community through action projects. The ideas in the manual are presented with the understanding that students need to be empowered through the creation of their own ideas for Community Action! Projects. Each summer the Manual is updated with community action projects completed in the previous year.

     Community Action! Fund. The purpose of the Community Action! Fund is to provide Partners in Human Rights Education Program teams and their students with the financial resources necessary to create effective Community Action! Projects. Community Action! Projects provide a unique means of integrating classroom learning about human rights with hands-on activities in the community. Through Community Action! Projects, students can more deeply understand the meaning of human rights in their own lives and in the lives of others in their community.

Community Outreach Activities


     The Partners Program works to establish connections with other community organizations to foster additional support and activities for the Partners Program team members and students. Throughout the past years, the Partners Program has worked on many collaborative initiatives including Radio AAHS Programs, a St. Paul Pioneer Press Supplement, a Creative Theater Unlimited and Star Tribune play, and the Blackmun Education Project.

Consultants & Staff


     Partners Program consultants and staff are available to help teams get off the ground, implement and generate curriculum and action ideas, and handle other support problems or successes. A site visit can revitalize a troubled team or improve relations with the school or community at large. The Partners Program also offers its office for in-house consultation with Partners Program participants.

Speakers' Bureau


     Consider asking the Partners Program Fellows to share their experiences in your classroom! The 1996 Fellows have returned from actively working with human rights organizations here in Minnesota and around the world. In addition, previous Fellows and other volunteers are available to speak about their experiences and human rights in specific regions through the Partners Program Speakers' Bureau. To find out more about available speakers as supplemental resources, call the Partners Program.

Human Rights Fair


     The Partners Program holds its Human Rights Fair each May to recognize the numerous volunteer team and student participants. This year the Human Rights Fair will be held on Friday, May 16, 1996. The Partners Program encourages teams to bring their entire classes as an exciting fieldtrip opportunity. Between ten and fifteen workshops are offered, including an interactive play, and art displays and videos presented by schools attending the fair. The workshops are as diverse as learning to make dream catchers to creating poems with human rights themes to face painting. The main program has involved elementary and secondary students.

Fellowship Program


     The Partners Program awards 8 to 10 participants with grants each March to work with human rights organizations throughout the world for approximately ten weeks in the summer or during the following school year. The fellowship grants underwrite travel and living expenses for the duration of the fellowship. Partners Program fellows bring their experiences back to the classrooms with a new perspective and understanding of human rights. Applications for the 1997 Fellowship Program will be available on November 15, 1996 and must be received in the Partners Program office by 4:00 p.m. on March 3, 1997. Listen to the experiences of the 1996 Fellows on October 14, 1996.

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The Lesson Planner


Please fill in the following information and attach additional pages as needed.

Background Information
Name(s), Address(es) and Phone Number(s) of Person(s) sending in this lesson:


Was this lesson taken from a curriculum source or created by a team member?
     If taken from a curriculum source, name and publisher of source:

     If created by a team member or members, name of person(s):

Team Members:
     Teacher:
     Lawyer:
     Community Representative:
School where lesson was implemented:
Grade level of students:
Date of lesson:
Primary HRE Knowledge and Behavioral Objective(s):

Primary HRE Attitudinal Objective(s):

Lesson

Title of lesson:
Appropriateness for special needs students:

Preparation:
     Time needed by team:
     Materials and Resources needed:


     Additional materials and resources (optional):


Time Period needed for lesson:
     Suggestions to shorten or lengthen the lesson:


Description of lesson (introduction, body, and conclusion):






Evaluation of students, their responses, and lesson:




Accompanying or follow-up questions, ideas, activities:



Tips for implementing the lesson:


COPYRIGHT LICENSE

_________________________, whose address is ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
("Licensor") is the owner of the copyrights in all of the written materials, documents, photographs, pictures, poems, designs and other copyrightable works (the "Works") Licensor has prepared and delivered to the Partners in Human Rights Education Project sponsored by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center and Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights ("Licensees"). Licensor hereby grants to Licensees a perpetual, fully paid, nonexclusive license to use, modify, distribute, reproduce, display in any form or manner the Works, including (a) the right to use the Works in materials published by Licensees and (b) to make any necessary copies of the Works. Licensor warrants that it has the right to grant these rights. The parties agree that Licensees have no duty to account to Licensor for any revenues Licensees received relating to the Works.

________________________
Licensor


By: ______________________
Title: ______________________
Date: ______________________

Please return this project sheet to:
Partners in Human Rights Education
U of M Human Rights Center/
MN Advocates for Human Rights
229-19th Avenue South, Room 439
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: (612)626-0041
Fax: (612)625-2011

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Community Action! Project Planner


Please fill in the following information and attach additional pages as needed.

Background Information
Name(s), Address(es) and Phone Number(s) of Person(s) sending in this Community Action! Project:


Team Members:
     Teacher:
     Lawyer:
     Community Representative:
School:
Grade level of students:
Date(s) of the Project:
Primary HRE Knowledge and Behavioral Objective(s):

Primary HRE Attitudinal Objective(s):

Place(s) where the Project was implemented:


Other individuals or groups involved with the Project (i.e. a community center, speaker, etc):



Community Action! Project
How did the idea for the Project evolve? Which resources, if any, were used to discover the idea?


What steps did the students take to develop and implement the Project?
     1.

     2.

     3.

     4.

     5.

What was the role of each team member?
     Teacher:

     Lawyer:

     Community Representative:


What were the results of the Project? Please include skills gained by students and changes in attitudes as well as changes within the community (local, state, national, or international).






Suggestions for other classes interested in doing this Project:


Future plans, if any:


COPYRIGHT LICENSE

_________________________, whose address is ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
("Licensor") is the owner of the copyrights in all of the written materials, documents, photographs, pictures, poems, designs and other copyrightable works (the "Works") Licensor has prepared and delivered to the Partners in Human Rights Education Project sponsored by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center and Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights ("Licensees"). Licensor hereby grants to Licensees a perpetual, fully paid, nonexclusive license to use, modify, distribute, reproduce, display in any form or manner the Works, including (a) the right to use the Works in materials published by Licensees and (b) to make any necessary copies of the Works. Licensor warrants that it has the right to grant these rights. The parties agree that Licensees have no duty to account to Licensor for any revenues Licensees received relating to the Works.

__________________________
Licensor

By: ______________________
Title: ______________________
Date: ______________________

Please return this project sheet to:
Partners in Human Rights Education
U of M Human Rights Center/
MN Advocates for Human Rights
229-19th Avenue South, Room 439
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: (612)626-0041
Fax: (612)625-2011

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PARTNERS IN HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION

1997 Fellowship Program


Do you long to gain practical, hands-on experience in human rights?
Do you have an idea brewing in your mind -- a desire to get away or to serve your community in a new way?
Can you dedicate six to twelve weeks in the next year living out this dream?

The 1997 Fellowship Program may be for YOU!

     The 1997 Fellowship Program hopes to sponsor eight to ten Partners Project volunteers in 1997. Applications for the 1997 Fellowship Program will be available on November 15, 1996 and must be received in the Partners Program office by 4:00 p.m. on March 3, 1997. Listen to the experiences of the 1996 Fellows on October 14, 1996 in Room 381, University of Minnesota Law School, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, contact the Partners Program at (612) 626-0041.

PARTNERS IN HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION
FELLOWSHIP PLACEMENTS
1994-1996

Human Rights Centre
Sydney, Australia

Committee on the Administration of Justice
Belfast, Ireland

Pat Fucane Center
Derry, Ireland

The Adam Institute for Democracy & Peace
Jerusalem, Israel

World Friendship Center
Nagasaki, Japan

Commission of Solidarity and Defense of Human Rights
Chihuahua, Mexico

Center for Human Rights--Tepeyac
Oaxaca, Mexico

Fundacion Para La Autonomia y Desarrollo de la Costa Atlantica de Nicaragua
Bluefields, Nicaragua

Human Rights Organisation of Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Hague, Netherlands

Romanian Independent Society of Human Rights
Bucharest, Romania

National Institute for Community Education & the Law
Johannesburg, South Africa

International Service for Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Geneva, Switzerland

Mor Cati/Purple Roof Women's Shelter
Istanbul, Turkey

Borderlinks
Tucson, Arizona

California Appellate Project
San Francisco, California

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
San Francisco, California

International Institute of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

Centro Legal
St. Paul, Minnesota

International Women's Rights Action Watch
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Partners in Human Rights Education
University of Minnesota Human Rights Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Washington, DC

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Evaluation Steps


     Partners in Human Rights Education works to implement a stronger evaluation process of its program each year. The Partners Program learns about important issues during the evaluation process and uses the information to make the Program responsive to the needs of its team and student participants. For the 1996-97 school year, the Partners Program will use the following evaluation steps:

1.      In September and October, team members select a member who will act as the Team Communication Link . Even though one member is the Communication Link, all team participants should contact the Partners Program staff and consultants for additional advice, assistance, and support or to notify the Program staff of potential problems and exciting successes.

2.     In November, the Communication Links are contacted via phone by the Partners Program staff for tracking and follow-up purposes as well as to discuss new Program developments.

3.     In November, all team participants receive postcards to evaluate how the Partners Program is meeting team members' expectations and to verify successful matches. It is essential that all participants send back this postcard immediately.

4.     From September through June, the Partners Program works with the Search Institute to evaluate how teaching about human rights and responsibilities influences the behaviors and attitudes of students. The Partners Program and the Search Institute are working with 5th and 6th grade students at West Central Academy in Minneapolis to pilot different evaluation tools.

5.     The Partners Program has developed a set of cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal objectives which a person educated in human rights should follow. The objectives were formulated from the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In September and October, sample activities are given to teams in addition to the target objectives. Teams work to develop students' knowledge and skills behind the human rights attitudes and then to provide feedback on their accomplishments in this area to the Partners Program. By March, the Communication Link should provide: (1) a lesson plan , with specific student objectives drawn both from the Partners Program target goals and oriented toward the specific task that students are asked to perform; (2) examples of student work and action projects; and (3) the teams' evaluation of student achievement .

6.     In May, an end-of-the-year survey is mailed to all team participants . All team participants are required to complete and mail back these surveys within two weeks of receipt. The surveys provide important feedback for staff and the Executive Committee to plan for the 1997-98 school year as well as notification/communication to the staff of your plans for continuing in the next school year. The Executive Committee analyzes feedback during its strategic planning process. In addition, the Training Sub-Committee reviews the evaluations in order to implement changes to the recruitment and training processes for the following year. The results identify both successes and limitations of the Partners Program.

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Assessing Student Outcomes


     The Partners Program has developed a set of cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal objectives which a person educated in human rights should follow. The objectives were formulated from the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In September and October, sample activities are given to teams in addition to the target objectives. Teams work to develop students' knowledge and skills behind the human rights attitudes and then to provide feedback on their accomplishments in this area to the Partners Program. One challenge in evaluating the Partners Program's success is that the goals are complex and multifaceted; using standard survey forms is an inadequate way of measuring the programs accomplishments. By utilizing a performance-based model of assessment, the Partners Program will gain a clearer vision of its strengths and weaknesses. As stated in Assessing Student Outcomes:

"...performance assessment refers to a variety of tasks and situations in which students are given opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and to thoughtfully apply knowledge, skills, and habits of mind in a variety of contexts. These assessments often occur over time and result in a tangible product or observable performance. They encourage self-evaluation and revision, reveal degrees of proficiency based on established criteria, and make public the scoring criteria."1

     The goals of the Partners Program have been stated in the broad category of "...to think critically and creatively about human rights and to develop behaviors consistent with securing these rights for all" (Partners pamphlet). This year, the Partners Program developed sample lesson activities for teams in addition to the target goals. Teams develop students' knowledge and skills behind the human rights attitudes and then provide feedback on their accomplishments in this area to the Partners Program. This evaluation procedure is still evolving.
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     1 Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, Jay McTighe, Assessing Student Outcomes: Performance Assessment Using the Dimensions of Learning Model (ASCD: Alexandria, Virginia) p.13.

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