Book participants in the 2018 Children’s Literature and Human Rights Workshop held in November 2018. The workshop provided instruction on how educators can effectively introduce and include human rights topics in the classroom using children’s books. The books were provided to the Dodd Center by the Connecticut State Resource Library and are available in classroom sets for loan. (Photo courtesy of Glenn Mitoma)

Advancing Human Rights Education in Connecticut 70 Years After UDHR

December 9, 2018

Seventy years ago this week, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris. “All anniversaries provide a moment to reflect and take stock,” says Glenn Mitoma, an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in the Neag School. “The UDHR was written in the aftermath of World War II, a catastrophic moment in history that has important lessons for us today. We can use this anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on and rededicate ourselves to the goal of a more just, equitable, and inclusive world.”



Image of student looking frustrated at a classroom blackboard (ThinkStock photo)

An ‘A’ Student Gives Teachers 8 Pieces of Advice

November 16, 2018

Taylor Hudak, 22, of Guilford, Conn., is a master’s student in the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program at University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. She graduated with bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and secondary mathematics education from UConn in May. She wrote this commentary, which was published in the Hartford Courant.






Running back Lyle McCombs

Op-ed: Coach’s Firing Won’t Solve College Football’s Deepest Problems

November 1, 2018

Maryland college football coach DJ Durkin was ultimately fired after the death of a player during practice – and findings that his players were bullied and abused by coaches and staff over the course his three-year tenure. However, his 11th hour ouster on Oct. 31 is evidence of how much the culture of college football still needs to change.

This culture encourages players to ignore signs of physical or mental exhaustion and is present across the college football landscape, not just at Maryland.



The Lasting Legacy of Vivienne Dean Litt at the Neag School and Beyond

October 23, 2018

Scholarships undoubtedly remain an essential source of support for individual students, but in fact they can also set into motion a wealth of other positive outcomes beyond funding an individual’s educational journey. One such student scholarship is the Vivienne Dean Litt Memorial Award — established in memory of the late Vivienne Dean Litt, former assistant director of the University Program for Students with Learning Disabilities (UPLD) at UConn.