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Mirrors and Windows: What Does it Mean to be Human?

A Window into the Human Person

At times, a student’s learning in a classroom can be a window; an opportunity to see both nuance and novelty in the world, an opportunity to examine the range of what it means to be human.

At other times, a student’s learning can serve as a mirror; a chance to see the self in a book, in a discussion, in the experiences of a classmate. In this reflection—perhaps magnified, perhaps distorted—students might see aspects of themselves previously unknown or unexamined.

Our research on the Human Dignity Curriculum—an ongoing mixed-methods study conducted by the University of Florida, St. Mary’s University, and the World Youth Alliance—has illuminated both mirrors and windows in students’ experiences learning about human dignity.

What is the Human Dignity Curriculum?

What is Human Dignity?

In the spring of 2023, we interviewed nearly 60 students with the hopes of understanding their perspectives on and experiences with human dignity after participating in the HDC. 

Students described learning about the nature of subjects versus objects, the value of different types of friendships, and the ability to think and choose and act with agency, amongst other topics.

Ashley, a sixth grader, spoke about seeing what it means to be human and herself in a new way. She told us:

“I’ve been having more confidence in what I do and just not really caring about what the other people say and stuff. Probably just that everything that you do in life is okay. And that if you make a mistake, that is fine. You can just try again.”

The HDC reflects the perspective that human dignity is something inherent and irrevocable. As such, it makes sense that Ashley feels confident, knowing that “if you make a mistake, that is fine.”

Download a free lesson plan.

We can teach students what it means to be human by teaching them human dignity.

Another student, George, talked about how the HDC changed his views on and treatment of others. The fifth-grader told us that

“everybody has dignity, so it’s not okay to bully other people because they also have human dignity.”

What it Means to be Human is to Have Infinite Dignity

Another student, Benny, marveled that “even a criminal [has] human dignity that’s equal with every other person.”

Lily, a seventh-grader, shared a similar perspective. When we asked her about a major takeaway from the HDC, she told us how:

“…everyone has human dignity and it’s important to treat everyone the same, even if you don’t like someone as much…so that they know that the other person has feelings too, and they know that if you hurt their feelings, they’re going to feel bad about it, and they might do the same to someone else.”

The Human Dignity Curriculum 

The HDC offers students the answer to what it means to be human and a window into what’s truly inside another person.

Not surprisingly, the students we interviewed described changes in their views of family members, classmates and even their teachers.

The HDC also offers the chance to see what’s inside each of us.

Isabel, an eighth grader, identified this essential thing as human dignity, reminding us that “I have human dignity, and I shouldn’t treat myself like I don’t.”

Students have questions. The answer is human dignity. Learn more about the curriculum.

 

Kids who Bully and Kids who Get Bullied Learn “¡Soy Digno!”

Why do Kids Bully?

Keep that question in your mind. Before I tell the story of bullying and how it stopped, let’s back up.

Roció Valdez lives in a small town in Paraguay.

There are five schools in the town and she approached each of them to tell them about the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC). Of these, one gave her permission to present the HDC to the Director of the School and its teachers.

She received permission to teach the HDC to the grade three students and then the pandemic hit.

“At first, students were sent home and school activities were canceled. Then, despite the fact that the school was not allowed to do in-person instruction, the students were told they could go to school on Tuesday and Thursdays to do the HDC.”

I ask Roció what it was like, teaching a room full of grade three students, in masks, in an empty building?

“The reaction of the kids was really great; they were excited about going to the school for a special class and they never missed a class because of how excited they were. We didn’t do certain games or activities in the lesson plan in order to follow the rules regarding social distancing.”

Kids Getting Bullied is Nothing New

At one point, Roció noticed a couple of students bullying another student.

“They were making fun of her because of her skin color.”

“They called her quemadita which means burned.”

“I told the kids not to say this, but they wouldn’t listen.

Then, when we talked about the value of human dignity and that we have human dignity even when we have differences, by the end of that lesson, the tone in the room had changed and the students were noticeably more collaborative.”

Why do kids bully? Because they don't know that they and others have human dignity.

Students hold signs from the curriculum that read: “I have the power to think and choose” and “I am worthy.”

A Hunger for Human Dignity

Fast forward to 2023, when the same school asked Roció to teach the HDC to the grade four students.

“Post-pandemic, students across Paraguay are experiencing increased difficulty with reading and writing.” Due to the popularity of the program, the school gave the HDC a two-hour time slot, from 9-11am every Tuesday and Thursday.

At first, the teachers gave a lot of homework to students to make up for the time lost to the HDC class. However, since the HDC class was only for one month, the kids were still happy because all they wanted was the HDC and so they didn’t care about other homework.”

Despite the generous two-hour time slot, the HDC class would still sometimes run for three hours, because “the kids would skip their break and eat in the classroom to keep going,” said Roció. “We covered a lot of material quickly!”

When Roció missed a class because she was sick, the following class, the kids were sad and angry with her.

“One kid asked me, why, why, weren’t you there? And then the students told me not to miss another one.”

Bullying Comes from Ignorance of Human Dignity

Remember the question, why do kids bully? The HDC covers a lot of important ideas that kids don’t usually get to talk about in school. “The questions are interesting and deep… so, kids are allowed to show their feelings and be sincere. They like it.”

“There is a lot of poverty, and many of these children are living in a situation where both their parents have left the country to try to find work.

In these families, the kids are taking care of their grandparents. Most kids are sensitive to the topic and don’t want to talk about their parents at all.”

In the lesson on Heroism, the heroes the fourth-grade students selected were their grandparents, their teachers and Roció.

At the end of the class, one student told Rocio that thanks to her, he knows he has value.

I ask Rocio if the kids are surprised to learn that they have human dignity? There is a pause. She is crying.

“Yes. Of course. At the end of the curriculum, all of the kids cried that the classes were over.”

“HDC gives them back an identity.”

Because, in the end, the kids understood what human dignity is and that they were really valued. And it made them so happy.”

Listen to educators talk about the Human Dignity Curriculum!

Little House, Big House (Nyumba Ndogo, Nyumba Kubwa)

Kisumu Juvenile Remand Home is a place where children in conflict with the law are committed by court until their matters are finalized. Some are orphans, others are from situations of neglect, living on the street.

At the Remand Home, they are safe, they have accommodation and food, and now they also know that their human dignity is intrinsic and can’t be given or taken away.

Beginning in April, every other Tuesday, the young people of Kisumu Remand home would gather in small groups, or, little house “Nyumba Ndogo” and big house “Nyumba Kubwa”, to take the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC), taught by a facilitator.

“Some of these children haven’t been in school for quite some time, and so, based on their level of literacy, they received instruction from either the Kindergarten or Grade 7 level of the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC),” explains Cynthia Maingi, Director of World Youth Alliance Africa, the organization behind the program.

“They come into this place that is safe, they find themselves among other children and encounter adults who care about them. As a result, they build rapport quickly with the facilitators. Whether it’s a week or three months, sometimes… the facilitators know it’s a limited time to impact this person’s life.”

The homes make do with what little resources they have.

The cost of the Human Dignity Curriculum was covered by World Youth Alliance, but facilitators translated each lesson into Swahili for delivery to the children.

To meet the challenges of the low literacy level, they got creative, bringing salt, lemons and sugar into the room to explain the idea of the human senses.

Gathering plants from outside, they explained the lesson on the Hierarchy of Being, highlighting the powers that plants, animals and humans share, and the two powers that are unique to humans: the power to think and the power to choose.

Most children’s homes in Kenya try to implement programs aimed at teaching life skills, such as financial literacy or dealing with issues of peer pressure.

“Of the partners we’ve worked with…” begins Cynthia, before re-stating:

“ALL of the partners we have worked with, say that what stands out for them is that the Human Dignity Curriculum starts with the question: who am I?” 

For the children of Kisumu Juvenile Remand Home, they may think the answer to that question is confusing, embarrassing, or worse.

“Yes, many of the children feel they’ve been rescued from situations that are so unbearable,” says Cynthia, who has worked with various children’s homes in Nairobi.

Learn more about this K-12 curriculum that changes lives!

“HDC teaches children  that even if you’re going to this Remand Home, that doesn’t negate the fact that you have the same value as every other person.”

At the end of one of the lessons in the Grade 7 Curriculum, the lesson concludes with a True or False quiz that rings true to the images capturing HDC scholars diligently at work, residents of the Kisumu Juvenile Remand Home:

“Society does not give us human dignity; every human being has dignity, whether society recognizes it or not.” True.

“If we live in difficult circumstances with a lot of distress, we still have human dignity.” True.

Explore the curriculum in depth and contact us!

Human Dignity Heals Memory and Identity

The Effects of Divorce on Human Dignity

Isabel waits patiently in the hallway, as I’m still interviewing Jack. “We’ll be just a few more minutes I say” and she eagerly nods her head and closes the door.

Jack returns to the discussion of his sister and how difficult she is to love; and yet, he says, “I can’t hate her. It’s a disability in me.”

He tells me about how angry he is; he asks if it’s normal to feel physically sick with so much anger inside.

He tells me that he has seen his sister harm herself:

“I see how beautiful she is, but she doesn’t. I know she has human dignity, but she doesn’t know it. She doesn’t go to this school and so she doesn’t take classes in the Human Dignity Curriculum.”

Why this curriculum gives us hope.

The Effects of Divorce on the Home

Isabel is interviewed next; she says that her younger sister doesn’t know what human dignity is: she pushes people and calls them names.

Isabel doesn’t retaliate anymore though, as she tries to respect her sister’s dignity.

“Has the human dignity curriculum changed the way you behave at home,” I ask?

“Yes. I get along better with my Mom now. We used to fight all the time, ever since the divorce. I’m really close with my Dad. Then I realized that my Mom has dignity, too. And so I comfort her when she is sad and she comforts me, too.”

A mere three months ago, Isabel said she was unable to talk to her Mom. Her schoolwork was slipping as she was tossed back and forth between two homes.

“After the divorce, I forgot a lot of things,” she says. “The lesson on thinking and choosing helped her remember things.” “Why do you think that is?” I ask. “I can’t explain it, it just did.”

The answer to questions kids have and the challenges they face.

Reversing the Effects of Divorce on Children

The effects of divorce on children are devastating. As novelist Pat Conroy wrote, “each divorce is the death of a civilization.” But as civilizations fall, they can also be rebuilt.

With HDC, that process begins within each student.

To understand human dignity is what the children of divorce really need.        

When I first met Jarvis, he slouched in to the interview with dirty nails and long hair hiding most of his face. He wasn’t interested in my questions and generally dismissed their relevance to his life with a shrug.

Today, he says “hello” when he enters the room, his hair is pulled back from his face and his nails are short and clean.

When I ask if the human dignity class has changed him at all, he says, “oh, definitely.” If actions speak louder than words, as our interview is over, he thanks me for having taken the time to interview him.

What does it mean to be human?

Human Dignity is Critical to Education

The Human Dignity Curriculum is being evaluated by researchers at the University of Florida for its impact on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

The evaluation is taking place in two sites across North America, one in a public school in Kansas and a private school in New Brunswick.

Students in Grades 5-8 in both sites were interviewed, as well as their teachers, to gauge the impact of the curriculum on self-perception and pro-social behaviors.

Download free sample lessons from the human dignity curriculum here.

To protect the privacy of students, all names were changed for this article.

The HDC is Our Hope

The Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC), developed by the World Youth Alliance, teaches young people ages 4-18 about the value of the human person, the power to think and to choose, to treat persons as subjects and not objects and to use their freedom for human excellence. It sounds like a tall order, but students are hungry for big ideas that capture their imagination and their heart.

“The HDC is hope,” said Rocio Valdez, an HDC coordinator, who brought the HDC to students in a small town in Paraguay, in the midst of the COVID pandemic. “I think it’s important to teach kids that life is worth it and that their dignity is a given, regardless of the situations they find themselves in. Even if that situation is illness, vulnerability or feeling small.”

Growing in the awareness of their intrinsic value, students begin to see themselves as protagonists in their own education and story. One of the ways the HDC does this is through showcasing the stories and struggles of others. “The stories in the HDC really inspire the students to see that other people have gone through difficult things, too. What makes them a hero is that they chose to do the right thing even when it was hard.”

The HDC provides students with the framework to understand being and becoming. In simple terms: that they are a person with human dignity and that they have the capacity to pursue human excellence. And that to be a hero is as straightforward as to choose what is excellent.

There was one student who was very shy and rarely spoke in class. Rocio could tell that this student didn’t feel able to express herself or share her opinion in class. “In this one lesson, we discussed choosing between the hard but excellent choice and the easy but not-so-excellent choice. At the end of the class, this little girl shared with me that it was inspiring to learn that she could make good decisions for all aspects of her life. She was shocked. She said she had never thought that she had dignity, and so she didn’t know that she could make good choices.”

Rocio can only marvel at the changes in that student: “I will never forget watching her at the
end of the course–that jumping, smiling girl was changed–and that was amazing to see. Teaching young people to love themselves and to love others is what the HDC does.”

Paraguayan Students on the HDC’s Homebound Heroism

“When I get home, I tell my Mom everything I have learned,” shared one HDC student from the Escuela Publica Defensores del Chaco, in Paraguay. Another student agreed, saying that she shares her lessons with her grandmother, so that she can learn about her human dignity, too. This effort is the result of a group of young leaders from the World Youth Alliance who volunteer to teach the Human Dignity Curriculumin the local school.

“I decided to get involved as a HDC teacher because I believe it is important to train children on….seeking respect for the human person and their dignity as they are pillars in individual life,” said one WYA volunteer.

The HDC’s unique approach to teaching dignity education enables students to think deeply about what it means to be a human person. Teaching students about the pursuit of human excellence redefines their understanding of what they are capable of and what it means to be a hero.

This particular implementation of HDC was its own testament to heroism. Despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the HDC team in Paraguay was able to teach HDC through a hybrid setup of virtual and in person classes. “We thought they were not going to be able to adapt but it was the opposite. Since I arrived, it has been a success in the institution,” shared Teacher Delma Barreto, an educator at the school.

The team of WYA volunteers witnessed how the weekly lessons began to make an impact in the students’ lives, as they would hear from parents about what was happening even at home. Parents expressed their surprise at the behavioral change they saw. One parent said, “My daughter misbehaved and used bad words, but with these lessons, she changed her behavior. She feels more content and happy to be who she is.”

Another parent shared that he didn’t know anything about human dignity until the HDC: “I thought it was a normal course where they were going to learn writing or something. My son told me that he wanted to participate and when he told me what he learned, I liked it more.”

Students were also able to relate the lessons to the challenges they were facing in school – particularly in bullying. “Some children said they suffered from bullying and now with the help of the program, they have overcame their fears. They have learned to respect and love themselves. The HDC has inspired them and made them happier,” shared one teacher, Ms. Delma.

 

 

Ethiopian Association of Catholic Schools Set to Pilot HDC

Ethiopian Association of Catholic Schools Set to Pilot HDC

February 21, 2020, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Ethiopian Association of Catholic Schools successfully penned a partnership with the World Youth Alliance in coordination with WYA Ethiopia Chapter Head Tamrat Belachew. The pilot of the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC) is set to begin with three local schools – Nativity School, Cathedral Boys school, and St. Joseph school. Grades 2 and 5 will be taught per school.

The curriculum has been warmly received by schools in the African continent located in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. Before it’s pilot implementation in Ethiopia in 2021, the content will soon be made available in Ahmaric – the official working language in Ethiopia. WYA Ethiopia Chapter Members currently lead the translation of the material.

The  Human Dignity Curriculum is a 100% human development program developed by the World Youth Alliance for children in both primary and secondary education. It teaches an understanding of human dignity as core in the development of personal identity, character education, and long-term healthy decision making. The curriculum breaks down complex philosophical ideas and articulates them with clarity that children can understand.  It aims to teach young people the values of the human person, human dignity, human freedom, and human excellence.

Learn more about how you can bring the HDC to your community by visiting our website.

 

The HDC Gains Government Approval in Croatia

The HDC Gains Government Approval in Croatia

December 9, 2016 – The World Youth Alliance Croatia Chapter received an approval from the Ministry of Science and Education for the implementation of its Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC) program in schools throughout Croatia.

The Ministry approval gives any school in Croatia the option to choose the HDC program as its human rights program for school implementation.

WYA Croatia first conducted its pilot of the HDC program in 2016 and received tremendous support from educators, parents, and students. Since then, more than 300 students in Croatia have learned from the HDC. Its first online version with Croatian students was launched by WYA Croatia in June 2020 as a response to the pandemic.

“We are thrilled to receive this Ministry approval”, commented Anna Halpine, WYA Founder, “which follows a tremendously successful pilot program in 2016. Given the strong evaluation results, and the enthusiasm for the program from parents, teachers, and students, World Youth Alliance is grateful that the Ministry recognized the value of this program, and is open for collaboration and for the implementation of the program in educational institutions.”

WYA welcomes this news and congratulates WYA Croatia on this tremendous accomplishment. The HDC program is currently available for school implementation for children Grades K-12, and has been implemented in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, and North America. The Ministry approval is the national authorization for the use and distribution of this program.

For more information about the program, visit our website or email us at education@wya.net .

 

Mercy Education Office Adopts the HDC in Kenya

Mercy Education Office Adopts the HDC in Kenya

October 2019, Nairobi, Kenya – World Youth Alliance Africa, in partnership with the Mercy Education office under the Sisters of Mercy, conducted the first implementation of the Human Dignity Curriculum in Africa. The implementation took place in 2 selected schools; St. Catherine Primary School in South-B and St. Elizabeth primary school in Mukuru.

The selection of the schools was done after a 2-day teacher training conducted earlier in January. Two grades were selected for the program, one in the lower grade and one in the upper grades. For the lower grade, 74 Grade 2 students aged between 5 and 7 years were chosen to undergo the curriculum while for the upper grade, 60 Grade 6 students aged between 11 and 13 years went through the program.

The training discussions were conducted by the World Youth Alliance Africa Regional Staff; Kevin Alando and Karen Kilwake with the help of their interns. Meanwhile, the Mercy Education office played a pivotal role in the facilitation and coordination with the schools. The students went through fun and interactive sessions with activities and roleplay to enable them to understand the concepts.

The  Human Dignity Curriculum is a 100% human development program developed by the World Youth Alliance for children in both primary and secondary education. It teaches an understanding of human dignity as core in the development of personal identity, character education, and long-term healthy decision making. The curriculum breaks down complex philosophical ideas and articulates them with clarity that children can understand.  It aims to teach young people the values of the human person, human dignity, human freedom, and human excellence.

We are grateful to the Mercy Education Team for continuous support in the implementation of the program. We also thank the teachers, students, and volunteers who helped us with the implementation of the HDC.

Interested in bringing the HDC to your school or community? Send an email to education@wya.net today.

 

The HDC in Kenya, A Teacher’s Perspective

The HDC in Kenya, A Teacher’s Perspective

Mr. Zachary, a teacher at St. Catherine Primary School in Kenya, shares the impact that the Human Dignity Curriculum has had on his own teaching and in the ways it has helped him to inspire virtue and character growth in his students. 

“Most of the children have improved and developed a positive attitude as they relate to each other in various activities in school,” he says, “I’ve seen the difference in the way that they play together as well as their learning in the classroom through peer teaching.” 

The HDC starts at a particular point–the value of each individual life–and from there, expands into the cultivation of virtue and the importance of pursuing excellence. 

Mr. Zachary shares that he believes that character and virtue education in children should start as soon as possible. “Right from the beginning,” he states, “the children ought to understand the value of life at a very early stage. The children have really helped to teach me some values that help to develop good morals such as respect, love, responsibility, and justice.” 

Ultimately, one of the foremost goals of education is the flourishing of the human person, and Mr. Zachary states that teachers have a responsibility to foster that flourishing and personal growth as much as possible.

“I teach because it is a call. The Human Dignity Curriculum has helped me to really internalize and reflect on what my role is as a teacher. One of the most important parts of teaching to me is to mold character and foster growth in virtue, and the HDC gives me the tools to do just that.” 

The implementation of the HDC at St. Catherine Primary school began in October 2019, with the help of the Mercy Education Office, and will continue helping to foster virtue and excellence well into the future.