History of the Academy
Founded in 2008 by several teachers in the Buffalo, NY region, the Academy for Human Rights (formerly known as The Summer Institute for Human Rights) was originally created to host a summer program for high school students interested in politics, history, international relations, the social sciences, and for those who wanted to learn more about impacting social justice in a positive way.
Recognized by C-SPAN, and the winner of both local and national education awards, the annual week-long Summer Symposium provides participants with the opportunity to learn from human rights experts, historians, and advocates, and to take part in hands-on activities, discussions, and field trips – all to inspire students to take positive, meaningful action towards changing their world. Many AHR alumni have pursued careers in journalism, law, politics, medicine, education, and human services.
Each year, the student Summer Symposium runs for five days in July at the Erie 1 BOCES Center located in West Seneca, NY. Participants include incoming 9th graders through exiting high school seniors, as well as interested elementary and secondary educators from private and public institutions from all over Western New York. Full details including schedule, speakers, and tuition can be found on the Summer Symposium page.
Recognized by C-SPAN, and the winner of both local and national education awards, the annual week-long Summer Symposium provides participants with the opportunity to learn from human rights experts, historians, and advocates, and to take part in hands-on activities, discussions, and field trips – all to inspire students to take positive, meaningful action towards changing their world. Many AHR alumni have pursued careers in journalism, law, politics, medicine, education, and human services.
Each year, the student Summer Symposium runs for five days in July at the Erie 1 BOCES Center located in West Seneca, NY. Participants include incoming 9th graders through exiting high school seniors, as well as interested elementary and secondary educators from private and public institutions from all over Western New York. Full details including schedule, speakers, and tuition can be found on the Summer Symposium page.
Teacher Development
In 2015, realizing the exponential power of training educators to address human rights issues with their students, the Academy for Human Rights expanded its impact by offering teacher professional development opportunities throughout the year. Our teacher programs include noted speakers (such as American free-speech activist Mary Beth Tinker, of the landmark 1969 Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District Supreme Court case, and Terrence Roberts, one of nine African American students who helped integrate Little Rock schools in 1957), and complete lesson plans and materials to cover an array of topics including the conflict in Syria, immigration, civil rights, fake news, climate change, and other pressing issues of our times. Led by our nationally-recognized, award winning staff, we look forward to working together with you to repair the world, one classroom at a time.
Goals Of The Academy
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