Students

Learn about civil and human rights in a dynamic way

Students, elementary through college, will find The Center to be one-of-a kind educational experience, with immersive exhibits, guided tours and downloadable personal guides to help them make the most of their experience.

The Center aims to connect the American Civil Rights Movement to current global Human Rights Movements and inspire students to actively engage in the worldwide discussion about civil and human rights. Whether coming with a group or alone, students have access to downloadable guides tailored for Grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

Did you know that children have their own Proclamation of Rights?

Young people cannot vote and often do not have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, created in 1989 and effective in 1990, outlines the goals every nation should strive to achieve for its young people. Here are some of the rights delineated in the Convention:

Freedom from violence, abuse, dangerous employment, exploitation, abduction, or sale into slavery, adequate nutrition and health care, special protection in times of war or conflict and age limits on when they can begin serving in the military, time for recreation, access to the information they need to play an active role in society, a say in what happens to them, the right to express their opinions.

Following your visit to The Center, take a moment to reflect with your family and friends about what you experienced.

What questions did your visit raise for you? Here are some discussion questions to get you started:

  • What did you see, feel and hear during your visit? Were you surprised by what you experienced in the exhibits today?
  • How do you define civil and human rights? What are some examples?
  • Did your visit change your ideas about civil and human rights? In what ways?
  • Are there any rights that you have today, that your caregivers did not have when they were growing up?
  • What are some human rights that are not granted to everyone in the United States?
  • What did your visit make you wonder or consider?

Related Resources

Martin Luther King Jr. Resources
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institution
The Morehouse College, Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection
The King Center

Human Rights Resources
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Freedom House Global Freedom Status

Civil Rights Resources
Cape Up: Voices of the Movement Podcast
Civil Rights Teaching
Facing History and Ourselves
Made By Us: Powering our Future with History