Wassmuth Center for Human Rights

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Wassmuth Center for Human Rights Home of the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. The Center was founded in 1996 to construct a memorial to human rights.

In August 2002, that vision became a reality when the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial opened to the public. Today, thousands of school children and adults tour the Memorial each year and participate in our programs.

The Boise Valley and the Treaty of Fort BoisePresented by Antoinette CavanaughWednesday, November 4 from 6:30-8:00 PMLo...
10/21/2026

The Boise Valley and the Treaty of Fort Boise

Presented by Antoinette Cavanaugh

Wednesday, November 4 from 6:30-8:00 PM

Long before there was a city called Boise, the Original Boise Valley People lived here. Author and educator Antoinette Cavanaugh will share their past, present, and future. She will also explore how the Treaty of Fort Boise continues to shape the lives of the Boise Valley People and the Treasure Valley today.

Antoinette grew up on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes. She has worked as a teacher, administrator, and educational consultant. The Nevada State School Board Association named her Superintendent of the Year. She is now a PhD candidate in Human Development and Family Science in the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Antoinette is also the author of Tammi’ Tetevini, “Ne Hakanni Kimmakkante?” Little Brother Asks, “Where Did I Come From?”, a bilingual Western Shoshone children’s book. She wrote it so that children and adults could read the Shoshoni language as a natural part of everyday life while learning Western Shoshone lifeways.

Come hear Antoinette weave her own story together with the history of the Original Boise Valley People, and learn how this history shapes the valley we share today.

Register here to join us: https://www.wassmuthcenter.org/speakers-at-the-center/

Speakers at the Center is made possible with the generous support of Marlene Southard.

Experience the power of a Wassmuth field trip –  an opportunity for your group to connect, learn, and create positive im...
10/21/2026

Experience the power of a Wassmuth field trip –  an opportunity for your group to connect, learn, and create positive impact in their own communities.
 
Tour the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial with our insightful docents and stay curious during a hands-on workshop in the Philip E. Batt Education Building. Each visit is packed with art, stories, and inquiry, designed around a theme chosen specifically for preschool to K-12, college, and adult learners. Let’s learn together!

Visit wassmuthcenter.org/education-field-trips/ to explore our field trip offerings.

Tomorrow! Will you join us for Conversations at the Center?In October, our topic will be: Beyond First ImpressionsIt’s e...
10/21/2026

Tomorrow! Will you join us for Conversations at the Center?

In October, our topic will be: Beyond First Impressions

It’s easy to make assumptions about people in our community based on what we see, hear, or believe. How do these assumptions shape who we choose to engage with? Come ready to explore what influences our first impressions, consider perspectives beyond our own, and discover how staying curious can create opportunities for greater understanding.

Come to connect, learn, and create through shared conversation.

Thursday, October 22
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Wassmuth Center for Human Rights; Philip E. Batt Education Building

Free & open to all (ages 14+ suggested).
Register Today: wassmuthcenter.org/conversations-at-the-center

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Idaho Humanities Council.

Educators! We'd love to have you join us this month.In October, we’re exploring Listen Deeply, one of the Wassmuth Power...
10/19/2026

Educators! We'd love to have you join us this month.

In October, we’re exploring Listen Deeply, one of the Wassmuth Powerful Practices.

RIPL Collective (Recharging and Inspiring Possibilities in Learning) is an educator-led professional learning community where educators come together each month to deepen their practice, share ideas, and learn from one another.

At RIPL, you can expect to:
➡️ Connect with fellow educators in meaningful conversation
➡️ Explore a practice you can apply in your own learning community
➡️ Engage in hands-on, collaborative learning
➡️ Leave with fresh ideas, practical tools, and renewed inspiration

All educators from preschool through university and beyond are warmly invited to join us.

Credit is available to those who attend regularly and show transfer of learning.

Our next gathering is happening soon:
⭐ Tuesday, October 20
⭐ 4:30 to 6:00 PM
⭐ Wassmuth Center for Human Rights | Philip E. Batt Education Building

👉 Learn more and register: wassmuthcenter.org/ripl-collective

Staying at the Table: Difficult Conversation in Polarized Spaces***Special Online Session***Monday, October 19 from 5:00...
10/18/2026

Staying at the Table: Difficult Conversation in Polarized Spaces

***Special Online Session***

Monday, October 19 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM MT

How do we stay in conversation when we disagree, without abandoning what we believe? Human rights are often imagined as something decided in courtrooms and legislatures. But as Eleanor Roosevelt said, they begin "in small places, close to home." They take shape at the dinner table, in the group text, at the kids' soccer game, and in the break room. These spaces have no facilitator and no ground rules, and the relationships matter deeply. When a conversation turns hard, many of us feel we have only two choices: stay quiet or argue.

This online workshop offers a third path. Drawing on the Wassmuth Powerful Practices and the work of two artists, participants will explore how deep listening and genuine curiosity can help us stay present in difficult moments while staying true to our values. Through reflection, conversation in pairs, and shared learning, we'll build the everyday habits that help create just and joyful communities, where human rights are a lived reality for all.

This session is free and open to all! Register at tinyurl.com/TAASOctober

Compassion Crew helps young learners explore big ideas and emotions with their grownups — because human rights begin wit...
10/18/2026

Compassion Crew helps young learners explore big ideas and emotions with their grownups — because human rights begin with the small, brave work of caring for one another, and ourselves!
 
Through music, art, stories, and movement, Compassion Crew introduces preschoolers and their grownups to the foundations of empathy, belonging, and mutual care. No registration for this fun and free program. We hope you’ll join our circle!

What is possible when we all feel like we belong?  The 2027 Wassmuth Arts Awards is an invitation to design for belongin...
10/16/2026

What is possible when we all feel like we belong? 
 
The 2027 Wassmuth Arts Awards is an invitation to design for belonging. A poem. A collage. Song lyrics. A sculpture. Whatever the medium, who do you wish our community could see more clearly, and with more compassion? 
 
This program is open to all K-12 Idaho students. We’ve even created a unique field trip to bring Design for Belonging into the arts! During their visit, students will explore examples of writing and art, think critically about the impact of belonging, and draft artworks that imagine a more just and joyful world for everyone.  
 
 
Artwork by Aishwarya J.
Photography by Brent Cheffings
 
Thank you to the Boise Department of Arts and History, the Hansberger Foundation, and IDeal Idaho Education Savings Program for their generous support of the Wassmuth Arts Awards.

Learn more at wassmuthcenter.org/arts-awards/

🌟Fellow Friday 🌟Melissa Thompson is an Idaho native and University of Idaho alum. She has taught Drawing and Art for Wel...
10/16/2026

🌟Fellow Friday 🌟

Melissa Thompson is an Idaho native and University of Idaho alum. She has taught Drawing and Art for Wellbeing at Boise High School since 2016. Melissa believes that art and creative practices should be accessible to everyone. Her classroom is a place where all students are encouraged to express themselves, focus on growth and resiliency, take risks, give and receive respect, and both successes and failures are celebrated.

In addition to teaching art, Melissa serves as the advisor for the school’s SAGA Club, where she supports LGBTQIA+ students in advocacy, community building, and empowerment. She serves on the BHS leadership team and is actively involved in the Idaho Arts Education Association.

Melissa is thrilled to be a part of this year's Wassmuth Human Rights Education Fellowship and looks forward to working with students, fellow educators, and the community to advocate for equality, justice, freedom of self-expression, empathy, and dignity here in Idaho.

As a Wassmuth Human Rights Education Fellow, Melissa is part of a vibrant community of educators dedicated to placing human rights at the center of their work. Together, Fellows are reimagining education as a powerful force for justice and joy.

Join us next week for Conversations at the Center!In October, our topic will be: Beyond First ImpressionsIt’s easy to ma...
10/16/2026

Join us next week for Conversations at the Center!

In October, our topic will be: Beyond First Impressions

It’s easy to make assumptions about people in our community based on what we see, hear, or believe. How do these assumptions shape who we choose to engage with? Come ready to explore what influences our first impressions, consider perspectives beyond our own, and discover how staying curious can create opportunities for greater understanding.

Come to connect, learn, and create through shared conversation.

Thursday, October 22
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Wassmuth Center for Human Rights; Philip E. Batt Education Building

Free & open to all (ages 14+ suggested).
Register Today: wassmuthcenter.org/conversations-at-the-center

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Idaho Humanities Council.

Last Saturday, more than 340 supporters gathered for the Change Your World Gala to celebrate 30 years of the Wassmuth Ce...
10/15/2026

Last Saturday, more than 340 supporters gathered for the Change Your World Gala to celebrate 30 years of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and invest in the future we are building together.

From raising paddles and placing online bids, sharing stories and building community, every act of participation helped strengthen our shared quest for a world where human rights are a lived reality for all. Together, we exceeded our goal and raised over $330,000!

Meaningful change has always begun with individuals showing up for one another. We are deeply grateful to our attendees, sponsors, volunteers, donors, board members, and the online community members who joined us for a night of immense impact.

While the gala may be over, our work continues. Together, we will create even more opportunities for people of all ages to build understanding, recognize, injustice, and create a more joyful world together.

Thank you to all who help us light the way forward! Especially our Co-Presenting Sponsors Blue Cross of Idaho Official and Dr. David & Mary Peterman.

We hope you'll join us next year!

Address

777 S. 8th Street
Boise, ID
83702

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12083450304

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wassmuth Center for Human Rights posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Wassmuth Center for Human Rights:

Share