$240   |  ONLINE

+ registration fees

 

 

36 hours (3 credits)

 

Offered in collaboration with Hudson County Community College

Instructor: Kevin Connelly

Saturday 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET / 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM PT

Sunday 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET / 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM PT

 

Check which Time Zone you are in!

 

 

 

October 3 – 4, 2026

Zoom meetings are ONLY on the first weekend: Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4  |  Class End Date: November 1, 2026

 

 

 

November 7 – 8, 2026

Zoom meetings are ONLY on the first weekend: Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8  |  Class End Date: December 6, 2026

 

 

 

December 5 – 6, 2026

Zoom meetings are ONLY on the first weekend: Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6  |  Class End Date: January 3, 2027

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Human rights affect all of us, often in ways we don’t even realize. They influence how we live, work, travel, communicate, and are treated by others. And when you’re living in another country, understanding basic human rights and recognizing situations where people may be vulnerable can be especially valuable.

In this course, we’ll take human rights out of the textbook and explore what they look like in real life. You’ll learn where human rights come from, why they matter, and how they connect to everyday issues around the world.

Through real stories, interactive discussions, case studies, and group activities, we’ll explore situations involving discrimination, poverty, migration, exploitation, displacement, and human trafficking. Rather than simply memorizing laws or definitions, you’ll investigate real-world situations and ask: What went wrong? Whose rights were affected? Why were they vulnerable? And what could have been done differently?

You’ll also explore human trafficking and exploitation through insight drawn from real-world prevention work, learning how to recognize warning signs and understand the circumstances that can make people more vulnerable.

Most importantly, you’ll discover that protecting human rights isn’t something reserved for lawyers, governments, or activists. Everyday people can make a difference by being informed, recognizing when something isn’t right, treating others with dignity, and knowing when and how to speak up.

Whether you’re interested in travel, culture, social issues, working with people, or simply understanding the world around you better, this course will give you a new perspective on rights, fairness, and what it means to protect human dignity.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

– Understand what human rights are and why they belong to everyone.

– Recognize different types of human rights and how they connect.

– Look at real-life situations and identify when someone’s rights may be at risk.

– Understand why circumstances such as poverty, migration, displacement, and limited legal status can make people more vulnerable.

– Recognize some of the warning signs and risks associated with exploitation and human trafficking.

– Identify practical ways individuals can help respect and protect the rights of others.

Topics We’ll Explore

• What Are My Human Rights? — The basics everyone should know
• Human Rights Around the World — Are our rights really the same everywhere?
• When Rights Are at Risk — Poverty, migration, displacement, and vulnerability
• Human Trafficking & Exploitation — Recognizing the signs and understanding how it happens
• Real Cases, Real People — Examining situations where rights were protected—or failed
• What Can I Do? — Everyday actions that support dignity, fairness, and human rights

 

ONLINE FORMAT

This course includes weekly reading, written and creator skills assignments posted in Google Classroom, along with two scheduled Zoom sessions (Zoom is a free video conferencing platform). The two Zoom meetings will take place during the first weekend of the course. After that, students will work independently on assignments for the remaining four weeks.

Please register using a valid email address, as this is where you will receive your invitation to join Google Classroom. Zoom and Google Classroom are both free and easy to use. You will receive your Google Classroom invitation approximately one week before the course begins.

Be sure to check your spam/junk folder, as Google Classroom invitations can sometimes be filtered there. Your email address must also be Google-compatible, so we recommend using Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo.

If you do not receive the invitation before the class start date, it is your responsibility to contact us so we can assist you.

 

ASSIGNMENTS & COMPLETION CERTIFICATE

All assignments must be successfully completed in order to receive your course completion certificate. Certificates will be emailed to the address you used when registering for the class.

If you have a deadline and need your certificate earlier, please indicate this during the registration process and upload documentation when prompted (there is a question in the registration form regarding early certificates). Eligible students may receive their certificate as early as one week after the course begins, provided all assignments have been completed successfully and verified by the instructor.

 

ATTENDANCE

Attendance at the scheduled Zoom sessions is mandatory, and attendance will be taken. If you do not attend both Zoom meetings, you will not receive a course completion certificate. Zoom sessions are not recorded, and make-up sessions are not available.

Please note that if you miss the Zoom meetings, you cannot transfer into another class or reschedule—you would need to register and pay for a new course.

Outside of the Zoom sessions, the course is self-paced, and you may complete your assignments on your own schedule. You will have four weeks to finish all course requirements.

 

ZOOM SESSIONS

Please note that all zoom sessions are scheduled in Eastern Time (New York City). Please check which time zone you are in, and make sure you attend the zoom sessions on time!