Catherine Hammons is a middle school social studies teacher at Palmer Trinity School in Palmetto Bay, Florida. Previously, she taught at Lausanne Collegiate School, the only PK3-12th grade International Baccalaureate World School in Tennessee.
After graduating from the University of Memphis with a degree in anthropology, she began presenting at international conferences on global education, interdisciplinary teaching strategies, and human rights education. She also served on the advisory board for the National Civil Rights Museum education program and helped develop curriculum for the new exhibits.
Hammons uses the Speak Truth to Power curriculum in her classroom to guide classroom discussions and challenge students to not just identify a problem but also learn how to develop a plan to make a change. Throughout the year, students examine human rights that have been violated and work together on how they can be defenders in their community. During the summer, Hammons leads a STTP history trip in which students visit historic places to learn about the fight for human rights, while also meeting local defenders in various cities around the world. Students then develop their own plans and explain how they will be human rights defenders in their own school, community, and/or the world.