zoeweil

I'm the co-founder and President of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE). IHE works to create a world in which we all live humanely, sustainably, and peaceably. We do this by training people to be humane educators who teach about the pressing issues of our time and inspire people to work for change while making healthy, humane, and restorative choices in their daily lives. We also work to advance the field of humane education, and to provide tools and inspiration to people everywhere so that they can live examined, meaningful lives. I'm also a writer. So far I've written six books and several articles.

zoeweil has written 63 posts for Cooperative Catalyst

Making Our Children More Humane

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ August 8, 2011 ⋅ 12 Comments

For my blog post today, I’m sharing a recent post I wrote for Care2.com, an online community for people passionate about creating a better world. Here’s an excerpt from Making Our Children More Humane: In his book, Teacher and Child, Haim Ginott shares a letter provided to all the teachers in a school on the … Continue reading »

Helping Students Live Big Lives

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ August 3, 2011 ⋅ 2 Comments

Award-winning educator and educational revolutionary, John Taylor Gatto, wrote in his book, Weapons of Mass Instruction: “Being a mature being means living with a purpose, your own purpose: it’s about welcoming responsibility as the nourishment a big life needs: it’s about behaving as a good citizen – finding ways to add value to the community … Continue reading »

To Solve the Education Crisis We Must Refute Faulty Assumptions

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 20, 2011 ⋅ 1 Comment

For my blog post today, I’m sharing a recent post I wrote for Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here’s an excerpt from “To Solve Education Crisis We Must Refute Faulty Assumptions”: Among the biggest challenges we face in “educational reform” are the many faulty assumptions that underlie our efforts to fix the problems we … Continue reading »

The Hope That Lies at the Root of Humane Education

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 16, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

I wanted to share a recent post I wrote for Care2.com, an online community for people passionate about creating a better world. Here’s an excerpt from The Hope That Lies at the Root of Humane Education: As Joan Baez put it, “Action is the antidote to despair.” So when I feel hopeless, I harness my … Continue reading »

Must It Take Media Stunts to Address Global Problems and Create Real Solutions?

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 13, 2011 ⋅ 2 Comments

Take a look at the heartwarming and powerful video of 7-year-old Olivia Binfield auditioning on the show Britain’s Got Talent. When I watched this video I got teary. Britain, and now the world, listened to this little girl speak the truth so eloquently and beautifully. Who could not be moved to reconsider buying an alligator … Continue reading »

Ruby and Coral: The Best Kinds of Activists & a Tribute to Humane Education

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 10, 2011 ⋅ 7 Comments

This past winter, two high school seniors, Ruby Treyball and Coral O’Brian, asked if they could do their Independent Study Project (IS) with me. Having watched my TEDx talk, they wanted to experience humane education and learn about human rights, animal protection, and environmental preservation. I put together a two week curricula that included five … Continue reading »

No Controversy Allowed! On Getting Kicked Out of a Middle School

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 6, 2011 ⋅ 7 Comments

I wanted to share a recent post I wrote for Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here are a couple excerpts: Imagine our surprise when ten minutes after the presentation we found out that the second one was canceled. The principal – who’d come in a few times during my presentation but wasn’t able to … Continue reading »

Words Do Hurt…And Help

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ April 11, 2011 ⋅ 1 Comment

There are two powerful and important videos circulating on YouTube produced by youth. The first is a brave and moving film from a vulnerable 8th grader who confronts her bullying by sharing it with us with a plea for awareness that words hurt: The second is a beautiful, powerful, and loving response from a 20-year-old … Continue reading »

A Powerful, Crucial Vision for the Future of Schooling: Teaching 2030

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ April 8, 2011 ⋅ 2 Comments

Teaching 2030: What We Must Do for Our Students and Our Public Schools… Now and in the Future is perhaps the most cogent, reasonable, clear, and yet visionary book about educational reform in the 21st Century. Written through a collaboration of twelve teachers/teacher-leaders and changemakers, Teaching 2030 steers clear of rhetoric, either/ors, political side-taking, and … Continue reading »

Khan Academy: A Revolution in Education

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ April 1, 2011 ⋅ 9 Comments

One of the questions that I’m frequently asked is: How can humane education –- which explores the interconnected issues of human rights, animal protection, environmental preservation, and culture, providing students with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to become solutionaries for a better world –- be added to an already overburdened curricula? There is so much … Continue reading »

What the School Reform Debate Misses About Teachers

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 30, 2011 ⋅ 4 Comments

For my post today, I’m sharing an excellent op-ed by former New York chancellor, Joel Klein. While I don’t always agree with Klein, in this case, I believe that he’s hitting the crux of the issue regarding teachers, and that we need to stop choosing sides and ensure that our children get great teachers and … Continue reading »

Want Better Schools? Exalt Great Teachers

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 28, 2011 ⋅ 8 Comments

For my blog post today, I’m sharing an essay I wrote that was published on Common Dreams.org, a progressive news site. Here’s a short excerpt: “We all have our stories of bad teachers. Most of us have memories of being bored, frustrated, anxious, and often miserable at school. We love our great teachers, and we … Continue reading »

Paying Teachers $125K for Excellence

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 25, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

In this 60 Minutes episode, “Charter School’s $125,000 Experiment,” Katie Couric reports on a New York City charter school experimenting with high salaries to attract great teachers, none of whom are provided the safety net of tenure. What do you think? Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education Author of Most Good, Least Harm, … Continue reading »

No Independent Thought or Discussion Allowed in AP Class!

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 23, 2011 ⋅ 8 Comments

A friend’s daughter is taking Advanced Placement (AP) World History. During class she and another student got into an engaged discussion about a topic they were studying that both had passionate feelings about and which both were prepared to discuss respectfully and knowledgeably. One had made a statement with which the other had disagreed and … Continue reading »

Institute for Humane Education Launches New Graduate Programs for People Who Want to Create a Better World

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 22, 2011 ⋅ Leave a Comment

I’m thrilled to share the news that the Institute for Humane Education (IHE) is launching new graduate programs in humane education through an affiliation with Valparaiso University. Beginning in September, IHE will offer an M.Ed. and M.A. in Humane Education, along with concentrations in Humane Education in Valparaiso’s M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership and M.A. in … Continue reading »

Cooperative Catalyst

Search