ABOUT HERO
What is Humane Education?
Humane education nurtures compassion, kindness, and respect for all living beings. Teaching humane education helps children discover the empathy already in their hearts, and then provides them problem-solving skills to empower them to proactively improve the world around them, using that empathy as a roadmap. HERO’s formula is simple. We unlock the goodness and decency inherent in children by showing them that kindness is an effective way to engage with the world and then teach them the skills necessary to effect change.
The skills may be as simple as a kind word or a helping hand; or being an advocate, writing letters and speaking up. It is never too early, nor is it too late to teach these values. Children of all ages can benefit.
Our Mission
We teach kids how to be a hero, using kindness, compassion, and courage as their superpowers. Our videos and classroom presentations teach children critical thinking skills and provide them the tools to deal with every-day situations using kindness, compassion, and courage as a guide. Together we will better our lives and the lives of all sentient beings. Through small meaningful improvements to a way of life on a regular and ongoing basis, over time, we can create massive innovation and change. The overarching goal of HERO is to develop a bold, new dynamic synergy between humanity and the natural world based on kindness and compassion, and fostered by education. By strengthening the commonality between humans and the animals we coexist with, HERO seeks to engender a shared sense of responsibility, based on love for the world we live in and acknowledgment of the invisible but binding interconnectedness of everything.
The Humane Education Movement
Currently, thirteen States have laws pertaining to teaching humane education. In California the law states, “Each teacher shall endeavor to impress upon the minds of the pupils … the meaning of equality and human dignity, including the promotion of harmonious relations, kindness toward domestic pets and the humane treatment of living creatures.” There is a growing movement of humane educators teaching and providing lesson plans for teachers. Research is being conducted to show the benefits of teaching humane education. HERO is proud to partner with these groups and carry out our mission to empower children to make educated decisions that have a positive impact for all. We will work with parents, teachers, superintendents, and school councils to demonstrate the importance of humane education so that it becomes part of the curriculum.
The Benefits of Humane Education
There is a growing body of research that shows there is a positive impact on the well being of the benefactor and the recipient after acts of kindness. A recent study lead by Daniel Fessler, UCLA anthropology professor, found that people who watched a video of someone showing kindness were more likely to donate money to a children’s hospital than those who watched a video without altruistic actions.
It is an exciting time, as organizations, such as UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute, The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and the University of Denver Human-Animal Connection and many more, spread the word and together we can create positive change.