We live in a world of extremes – extreme wealth, extreme climate and extreme inequality. Responding to these extremes can no longer be the sole preserve of academics, politicians and policymakers. Education has an important role to play.
That is why we have developed a number of educational resources that can be used by teachers to incorporate themes of social justice, human rights and eco-justice into the classroom.
These resources are regularly updated. Users are encouraged to use and distribute the work for non-commercial purposes (including educational purposes, research and study) as long as the work is unchanged and is attributed to the author of the material (such as ERC or another organisation).
The resources can be adapted to all year levels and curriculum areas.
- Just Facts - Our Just Facts information sheets are a resource providing information about contemporary justice and human rights issues for classroom use
- Just Speakers - Speakers from ERC are available for local and interstate events, including presentations to student, teacher and parent groups
Refugee week resource kit for teachers 2023
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The 2023 Refugee Week Resource Kit for Teachers is compiled by Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education. It will assist teachers, students, and all members of the community to celebrate the contributions which refugees make to life in Australia. It contains podcasts, webinars, information, events, activities, guest speakers, and resources for schools. Click the link below to download the document. |
National Reconciliation Week 2023 School Resource Kit
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National Reconciliation Week 2023 School Resource Kit is compiled by the Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education. It will assist teachers, students, and all members of the community to understand the theme for 2023 National Reconciliation Week Be a Voice for Generations. And it also contains engaging resources and websites on the topics of the Voice to Parliament and Referendum. Click the link below to download the document. |
Uluru Statement from the Heart Resource Kit for Teachers
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The Uluru Statement from the Heart is written as an invitation to the people of Australia, to come together with First Nations Peoples to achieve constitutional recognition and structural reform in the relationship between the Commonwealth Government and Indigenous Peoples through Voice, Treaty and Truth. The aspirations of First Nations Peoples are for a fair, truthful, and reconciled relationship between First Nations and the people of Australia. The Resource Kit for Teachers is designed to assist teachers to introduce the Uluru Statement from the Heart to their students by raising awareness about its content and messages. It also provides information, resources, and creative activities for learning: Click the link below to download the document. |
Refugees and People Seeking Asylum Education Activities Resource for Teachers
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The Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education is involved in a range of human rights projects and initiatives which encourage greater awareness, understanding and action for positive change. For many years the Edmund Rice Centre has been working to raise awareness and advocate for the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum.
The Refugees and People Seeking Asylum Education Activities Resource for Teachers Upper Primary-Senior Secondary (Updated 2022) is ERC’s publication, which converts years of their research and experience into curriculum support material that addresses the learning needs of students. This free 74 page Education Activities Resource offers 44 cross- curricular activities, which are practical, engaging and focused on increasing awareness about human rights and advocacy. The activities are adaptable to all year levels in secondary school and some can also be used with upper primary classes, students with special needs and they could also be used in community group discussions. Students are encouraged to think about refugees and people seeking asylum with compassion, to move their understanding from the head to the heart and then to some form of action. To download this Education Resource click here. |
The Pyramid of Hate
This classroom exercise is designed to help educators teach students ages 14- 18 about the effects and consequences of bigotry and intolerance. The exercise integrates first-person video testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation Institute’s archive with the Pyramid of Hate, a curricular tool developed by the Anti-Defamation League that provides students with an opportunity to explore the ways in which hate can escalate in society.
Through this exercise, students will explore their own attitudes about, and experiences with, prejudice and bigotry; examine the individual’s roles and responsibilities regarding ethnic, racial, and religious bias; and think critically about examples of prejudiced attitudes, acts of prejudice, discrimination, violence, and genocide.
Download here.
COP26 School Resource
One of our core and longstanding areas of work at the Edmund Rice Centre focuses on Pacific climate advocacy. Ahead of the COP26 (the annual United Nations Climate Conference) in Glasgow in November 2021, we have developed a school resource, COP26 and How You Can Make a Difference - A Resource for Schools Across Australia, to help students advocate for climate action.
Earlier, on 8 September 2021, the world's three main Christian leaders issued an unprecedented joint appeal to members of their Churches to "listen to the Cry of the Earth" and back action to stem the effects of climate change. In "A Joint Message for the Protection of Creation”, Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew asked Christians to pray that world leaders at COP26 make courageous choices.
The world has little time left to turn the tide of climate change and avoid its most severe impacts on humanity and our planet.
We encourage you to download our COP26 School Resource, share it with your networks, and where possible, actively engage school students in climate advocacy.