Introducing FREIRE – Online Courses for Human Rights Education
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.
