A Year in the Life of a Peace Teacher

At a time when violent international conflict and the threat of extremism loom large, four high school teachers in Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, and Florida have spent the last year taking part in a U.S. Institute of Peace program to help their students gain the knowledge, skills and perspectives they need to work toward a more peaceful world.

For young people living in Tulsa, OK; Grandview, MO; Missoula, MT; or Gainesville, FL, news of bombings in Afghanistan, failed peace talks in South Sudan, or denuclearization talks with North Korea may feel like a world away. Their teachers face the challenge of bringing these pressing international conflicts to life while also empowering their students to envision peaceful solutions.

Three of USIP’s 2017 Peace Teachers shared how they advanced their students’ understanding of conflict and the possibilities of peace in ways that aligned with their existing curriculum. Their stories revealed how students from very different communities across the U.S. make sense of the world and what they were inspired to do over the past year as part of this USIP program.

For more information about this event, visit

Participants:

Nancy Lindborg, Welcoming Remarks

President, U.S. Institute of Peace

Megan Chabalowski, Introductions

Program Officer, Public Education, U.S. Institute of Peace

Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, Moderator

American novelist, short story writer and journalist, and Member, International Advisory Council, U.S. Institute of Peace

Amy Cameron

Grandview High School, Grandview, MO

Ezra Shearer

Sentinel High School, Missoula, MT

Maria Zelaya

Eastside High School, Gainesville, FL

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The United States Institute of Peace is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. To reduce future crises and the need for costly interventions, USIP works with governments and civil societies to help their countries solve their own problems peacefully. The Institute provides expertise, training, analysis, and support to those who are working to build a more peaceful, inclusive world.