Global challenges such as climate change, discrimination, and armed conflict continue to intensify, alongside declining global peacefulness and widespread hate speech. Current education systems often fall short in addressing bias, intolerance, and youth well-being. The 2025 Global Peace Index shows continued deterioration of global peacefulness, while social media reports millions of hate speech incidents annually. According to 2024 Project Belonging data, only 7% of students believe their schools can successfully handle classroom bias and intolerance.
Research shows that integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) and global citizenship education strengthens empathy, mental health, academic outcomes, and civic engagement. In response, Penn State and international partners have launched the Global Observatory on Empathy and Youth Civic Engagement, an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to generating evidence, informing policy, and advancing equitable, peace-building education for youth worldwide.
Participants will learn more about the Observatory and the need for educational programming that integrates socioemotional competencies, character initiatives, and global citizenship. Such skills shape increased youth development and valued by employers.
About the Speaker
Dr. Brennan’s research, teaching, writing, and program development concentrates on the role of community and leadership development in the community, youth, and rural development process. In this context, much of his work has focused on community action, civic engagement, youth development, locally-based natural resource management, economic development, and social justice. This work has involved extensive comparative research throughout the United States, Europe, Central/South America, Africa, and Asia.
His research interests include:
- Community
- Community and Leadership Development
- International Development
- Research Methods and Statistics
- Social Change/Social Movements
- Rural Sociology
- Environmental/Natural Resource Sociology
