Human Rights Close to Home offers professional development for teacher fellows through a two-year program. Teacher fellows learn and share human rights knowledge, civic engagement skills, and rights-based pedagogical approaches in order to bring human rights curriculum to their classrooms and schools.
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Key Activities for Teacher Fellows
Summer Institute:
Summer 2023 Dates: July 17, 2023 - July 28, 2023 (Monday through Friday, approximately 9:00 am to 4:00 pm)
Summer 2024 Dates: July 8, 2024 - July 12, 2024 (Monday through Friday, approximately 9:00 am to 4:00 pm)
Summer 2025 Date: One day in July 2025. Exact day to be confirmed.
You will explore human rights issues, learn teaching strategies, and develop and receive feedback on curriculum materials/educational initiatives that support civic engagement for human rights. Speakers will include expert scholars, school and community leaders, educators, community-based civics and human rights organizations, and youth leaders. The non-residential Summer Institute will take place at the UConn Storrs campus and is two weeks in July 2023, one week in July 2024, and one day in July 2025.
Curriculum Development & Contributions to Sustained Learning:
You will develop and implement human rights curricula, documenting successes and challenges along the way. HRCH will work with you to compile outputs as part of an open resource for future human rights and civic educators.
Professional Development:
During regular meetings (2-4 online and 1-2 in person each school year) with your cohort of 25 teachers, you will further develop your knowledge and skills, engage with fellow educators, and receive personalized coaching and feedback on your efforts to empower youth civic engagement and teach human rights. HRCH will also facilitate resource sharing and communicating through an online forum.
Alumni:
Alumni of HRCH may also be invited back in subsequent years to share your curriculum development projects, provide peer support for the new cohort of teacher participants, and have opportunities to deepen your learning and leadership.
Year One Timeline
February 24, 2023: Application deadline
Early March: Decisions sent
Late March: Commitments due
May - June: Program information sent
July 17 - July 28: Two week non-residential Summer Institute (Monday to Friday each week)
August/September: First stipend payment of $2,000 disbursed upon completion of Summer Institute
Sept 2023 - June 2024: Curriculum implementation with support from HRCH team and peers
Year Two Timeline
July 8 - July 12, 2024: One week non-residential Summer Institute (Monday to Friday)
August/September: Second stipend payment of $2,000 disbursed upon completion of school year curriculum implementation and second Summer Institute
Sept 2024 - June 2025: Curriculum implementation with support from HRCH team and peers
July: One day Summer Institute (Exact day to be determined)
August/September: Third stipend payment of $2,000 disbursed upon completion of second school year curriculum implementation and one day Summer Institute
Online Information Sessions for Teachers
To request an information session on HRCH for K-12 teachers in your school or community organization, please contact us at hrch@uconn.edu. Please note that information sessions are currently being held for teachers from East Hartford, Hartford, Region 19, Vernon, West Hartford and Windham.