photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Sara Asher, pictured on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, has been teaching at Bishop Seabury Academy since 2002.

An institute focused on supporting those who are working to build an inclusive world for peace has chosen a Bishop Seabury Academy educator to represent Kansas in its national program.

The U.S. Institute of Peace recently announced Sara Asher as its Kansas educator for this year’s Peace Teachers program. The program offers virtual professional development for middle and high school educators nationwide, selecting one teacher from each state and Washington, D.C., to receive resources and support to enhance their teaching of international conflict and peace.

Asher has been teaching at Bishop Seabury since 2002. She said she first learned about the institute while chaperoning Bishop Seabury students at Academic WorldQuest, a program that tests high school students on international affairs, current events, human geography, world history and culture. The national event took place at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington D.C., and she saw it as a perfect chance to apply for their teacher program.

“I was very excited that I could learn more about what they do and learn to be more thoughtful about bringing more peace into my curriculum,” Asher said.

The program – which will take place through January 2025 – aims to equip teachers with tools to help students see their role in fostering a more peaceful world and resolving conflicts in innovative ways.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the students are going to take this in,” Asher said. “I hope they see the value in this as I do and that they also embrace it. That’s my hope for this year.”

Throughout the year, the program’s teachers will complete a self-paced online course to give an introduction to peacebuilding. In addition, teachers will participate in virtual meetings with institute staff and other educators in the 2024 cohort to share their experiences. One thing that Asher is most excited about is Bishop Seabury’s participation in the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, which falls on a Saturday.

“On that Monday we will have a presentation about International Peace Day,” Asher said. “I would like for all of us to think about how we can show peace in our everyday lives. I look at conflict and peace on a global scale because I teach world geography, but it can also be broken down into interpersonal relationships too, which is so important for our middle schoolers.”

Asher has been an educator for nearly 25 years and completed her doctorate in educational leadership at Baker University in 2023. She has a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University and a master’s in curriculum and instruction from the University of Kansas.

Asher said for a long time, she didn’t have a teaching philosophy. Only a few years ago, she finally put it into words that she taught peace through understanding, and hopes to grow it throughout the program.

“By knowing about different cultures and different people and understanding that they’re cool versions of the same humanity, I feel that’s the first step into building peace,” Asher said.

“There’s a lot of divisiveness in the world today, and usually, it’s a small number of people with very loud voices and those of us who are more inclined to peace and want peace, our voices are often quiet,” Asher said. “If we join together, and if I can teach the students that sit in this room how to not be afraid of other people and ideas and create something new and exciting, that’s everything.”