Dimensions of Humane Communities_6_Sarah Bexell

The Need for Humane Education has Never Been Greater

But, what is humane education? Don’t worry if you find yourself unsure, or if you have never even heard of humane education. Recent research involving 829 K-12 educators in the U.S. found that 72% had not heard of humane education. However, after learning about it, 96% stated they would like to see it implemented in their schools. Humane education enjoys a history dating back to the mid 1800s, however there have been stretches of time within which it was nearly dormant. Recently there has been a resurgence, in part due to a global trifecta of human induced interconnected challenges in violations of human rights and well-being, the protection of other species, and mass environmental degradation. Humane education is a comprehensive and needed methodology that equips learners with the tools to think critically to identify impactful solutions to these interconnected global challenges. Humane education encourages compassion, respect, empathy and inclusion toward other humans, and learners equally develop these sensitivities to other living beings and the natural world which sustains our species. Humans are facing unprecedented challenges, yet, in the words of internationally recognized environmental educator David Orr, schools still educate youth as if there is no planetary emergency. At the Institute for Human-Animal Connection we contribute to the field of humane education through research and development, and the hosting of one of only three formal training programs in the world for professional comprehensive humane educators. In this session, learn more about the promise of humane education and how to get involved in creating a healthy human presence on Earth.