We’re all learning to be upstanders.
Most people’s decision to be an upstander starts with a moment of insight. Maybe you witnessed something you thought was wrong and didn’t know how to stop it. Maybe you shied away from a difficult conversation and regretted it later. Being an upstander is a process of ongoing self-reflection and learning. It’s not a status you achieve or a badge you earn. We’re all learning to be upstanders, and it’s a lot easier when we learn together.
Watching Upstander Project’s award-winning films is a great first step in the upstander journey. When you’re ready to take your learning even deeper, our learning resources and educator workshops complement the films and connect you with other aspiring upstanders.
REFLECT
The world is a complex place, and sometimes we discover that the truth we thought we knew isn’t the entire story. Processing that shift and then learning how to take action on our new understanding requires vulnerability, patience, and compassion. We grow when we take the time to look inside ourselves and reflect on the ways we interact with our fellow humans and the Earth. Through that growth, we become stronger upstanders.
Upstander Project’s educational resources support you through this journey. Whether you’re learning largely on your own or reflecting with a group of trusted friends or colleagues, our viewer and learning guides, primary sources, timelines, supplementary videos, and other learning tools will help you along the way.
Connect
Being an upstander means taking action in defense of those being harmed — both by standing up for what is right individually and by engaging with a wider community of upstanders. Upstander Academy, our six-day, intensive workshop for educators, is a space for upstander growth and empowerment.
Upstander Academy participants take away practical tools for creating more inclusive curricula and schools and countering bias by promoting understanding, restoration, and the repairing of broken relationships. And, they build relationships with other upstanders that can last a lifetime!