News release details

Students visiting Museum learn their actions count

Students are learning they can make a difference through their actions, as more than 30 classes a week visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR). Students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 are exploring human rights concepts through CMHR school programs such as "My Rights, Our Rights," "Be an Upstander" and "First Peoples' Rights in a Changing Canada." 

"We've developed our student programs to support learning objectives in school curricula and to engage students with the stories in the Museum," said June Creelman, CMHR director of Learning and Programming. "It's truly inspiring to see children embrace the concept of human rights and think about how their actions affect others. Some of these young people leave the Museum hoping to influence not only their peers, but the world."

From January until the end of the school year in June, more than 20,000 students from Manitoba and the surrounding region will have participated in school visits to the CMHR. Most of the programs are now fully booked, with just a few spots available before classes end in June. From Tuesday to Friday, between eight to 10 classes visit the Museum each day.

CMHR program interpreters lead students through a series of interactive activities during programs of 90 minutes to two hours. School programs include a visit to three or more CMHR galleries and were developed in consultation with educators. In younger grades, students learn about the rights we all have as human beings and how to respect each other's rights. Older students are challenged to explore concepts of freedoms, rights and responsibilities through analysis of Canadian and world events.

Teacher Angie Baseraba brought her Grade 5 class from Dr. Hamilton School to the Museum in January. "The whole program was amazing," she said. "The students worked in small groups and took part in interactive games. Even though they are children, they learn that they can make a difference."

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights. It is the first national museum in Canada to be built outside the National Capital Region. Using multimedia technology and other innovative approaches, the Museum creates inspiring encounters with human rights appropriate for all ages, in a visitor experience unlike any other.