A Year in the Life of a Peace Teacher
Stories from the American Classroom
At a time when violent international conflict and the threat of extremism loom large, four high school teachers in Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, and Florida have spent the last year taking part in a U.S. Institute of Peace program to help their students gain the knowledge, skills and perspectives they need to work toward a more peaceful world.
For young people living in Tulsa, OK; Grandview, MO; Missoula, MT; or Gainesville, FL, news of bombings in Afghanistan, failed peace talks in South Sudan, or denuclearization talks with North Korea may feel like a world away. Their teachers face the challenge of bringing these pressing international conflicts to life while also empowering their students to envision peaceful solutions.
Three of USIP’s 2017 Peace Teachers shared how they advanced their students’ understanding of conflict and the possibilities of peace in ways that aligned with their existing curriculum. Their stories revealed how students from very different communities across the U.S. make sense of the world and what they were inspired to do over the past year as part of this USIP program.
Join the conversation on Twitter with #USIPPeaceTeachers.
Participants
Nancy Lindborg, Welcoming Remarks
President, U.S. Institute of Peace
Megan Chabalowski, Introductions
Program Officer, Public Education, U.S. Institute of Peace
Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, Moderator
American novelist, short story writer and journalist, and Member, International Advisory Council, U.S. Institute of Peace
Amy Cameron
Grandview High School, Grandview, MO
Ezra Shearer
Sentinel High School, Missoula, MT
Maria Zelaya
Eastside High School, Gainesville, FL
