At Human Rights Education Youth Network (HREYN), we are always looking for ways to make human rights education more accessible, engaging, and impactful. That’s why we’re excited to introduce FREIRE – Online Courses for HRE, a new e-learning platform designed to support educators, youth workers, and organizations working with young people.
Built within Canvas, FREIRE is a free resource that allows members to develop and facilitate human rights education through interactive online courses, blended learning, and pre-mobility preparation.
🌍 Why FREIRE?
Named after Paulo Freire, a pioneer of critical pedagogy, this platform follows his vision of dialogical, participatory, and transformative education. FREIRE ensures that young people engage meaningfully with human rights topics in a structured, ethical, and interactive way.
📌 How Can You Use FREIRE?
HREYN members can use FREIRE in three key ways:
✅ 1. Online Courses – Develop and facilitate complete human rights education courses.
🔹 Example: A self-paced course on climate justice, where participants engage in interactive lessons, quizzes, and discussions.
✅ 2. E-Learning Preparation Before Mobility – Provide participants with key information before they travel for exchanges or training.
🔹 Example: A pre-departure module for a youth exchange on LGBTQI+ rights, helping participants understand the project, terminology, funding, and logistics before they arrive.
✅ 3. Blended Learning – Combine online learning with in-person workshops for deeper engagement.
🔹 Example: A hybrid human rights training where participants complete online modules before a face-to-face workshop, then reflect on their learning through online activities.
🏆 Case Study: Training Course in Bakuriani
During our recent training course in Bakuriani, we used FREIRE to enhance engagement and learning. After selection, participants were invited to the platform, where they could:
- Access key project information – Instead of long PDFs, they found concise, structured information on funding, reimbursement, terminology, and logistics.
- Collaborate on event planning – Participants brainstormed evening activities, co-created musical playlists for breaks, and compiled digital toolkits.
- Use the anonymous feedback tool – This feature enabled deeper reflection and ensured all voices were heard.
- Review the daily programme in advance – Participants could see session objectives beforehand, make informed decisions on participation, and ask questions.
FREIRE also provided a safe alternative to mainstream social media platforms, protecting participant data and communication.
(We encourage using Signal for messaging instead of commercial apps!)
🔹 How to Get Started?
For now, FREIRE is completely free for HREYN members! If you’re interested in setting up a course, email us at canvas@hreyn.net, and we’ll help you with the process.
🚀 Join HREYN today and start using FREIRE to empower young people through human rights education!
🔗 Become a member & access FREIRE
Donors:
FREIRE is made possible through funding from:
1. European Youth Forum of the Council of Europe
2. BIJ – Bureau International Jeunesse, Belgium’s national youth agency
Developed by HREYN members: Nika Bakhsoliani, Tamar Tsatskrialashvili, and Tamar Tkemaladze.
FREIRE is here to support human rights education and make learning more accessible, collaborative, and impactful.
