The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is hoping to strengthen relationships with students and teachers through a new program.

THE CMHR announced its new Educator in Residence program yesterday. The program is "designed to foster and support the development of human rights education programs for youth learners, both onsite and online. The program is also intended to create ongoing educational linkages between the Museum and public school divisions that support human rights learning," according to a release.

Lise Pinkos is the manager of education programs at the CMHR, and she said "we know that teachers and educators in Manitoba are very interested in teaching about human rights, so we thought this would be a great way to help educators, and benefit both the museum and schools."

Teacher Graham Lowes has been named as the first Educator in Residence. He's a grade seven teacher in the Louis Riel School Division where he taught for five years at Frontenac and H. S. Paul schools. 

Lowes will be with the museum through the school year. "He will work on some special projects here at the museum, as well as projects for his school division," Pinkos says. "I feel like there's a lot of possibilities here. What I'm really hoping to see is getting a bit of a different voice and viewpoint, especially when it comes to our online programs. To have that voice that says 'this is what teachers need and want.'"

Pinkos points out that the CMHR is open for schools to register and their programs will begin in October.