Posted by admin on March 12, 2010 under Active Organizations, Heroes, Resources | 
(from the National Heroes Day web site: http://www.NationalHeroesDay.com)
It has become fashionable to overstate the idea of heroes in our culture today. But where are the REAL heroes for today’s children and young adults? Historically, there are countless heroes who have become lost or forgotten. The major goal of National Heroes Day is to bring them back into the spotlight they deserve. By reading and talking about the great men and women who have made our world a better place, our youth will be inspired to follow in their footsteps. As they learn about REAL heroes in every field of human endeavor, they will begin to see that perseverance and determination can indeed change the world. National Heroes Day can plant the seeds for the growth of REAL heroes for the future. It is our goal to inspire students of all ages to rediscover the forgotten heroes from the past and recognize their significant contributions to the advancement of mankind.
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Today we celebrate the heroes in our lives, unique for each person and, as a real hero, a positive force for many, many others.
National Heroes Day is a program of AIHE - American Institute for History Education
Posted by admin on March 4, 2010 under Active Organizations, General, Resources |
I’ve recently learned about Mr. Geoffrey Canada and his work with the Harlem Children’s Zone. The initial connection with Mr. Canada came to me in his words:
“Children need heroes because heroes give hope; without hope they have no future.”
We each have experiences growing up with some sort of fictitious character, possibly a superhero and possibly a symbol of someone who could “save the day.” If you were like me, and as Mr. Canada shares, that symbol became empty. The fiction became real. But my hero didn’t.
I have enjoyed reading about the Harlem Children’s Zone because they have a commitment to being real heroes for the kids, not in a superhuman way but by being the parents and teachers the kids need, today, in their lives. The real impact they are having is evident.
The Harlem Children’s Zone website is: www.hcz.org.
Today I received an announcement I’d like to share:
“During Sunday’s Academy Awards broadcast, the Harlem Children’s Zone is being featured in an ad campaign for the American Express Members Project. The ad features Geoffrey Canada describing the genesis of the HCZ Project – how it grew slowly to 97 blocks as well as talking about the agency’s culture where “failure is not an option.” The 60-second ad was created by Oscar-winning director Scott Hicks and cinematographer Robert Richardson. After the premiere, it will then be part of the Members Project’s on-going ad campaign.
The Academy Awards are set to air at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC. In case you miss it, we will post the ad on our website on Monday.
The Members Project is an innovative online initiative that provides those with an interest in giving back an opportunity to take small steps to make a big difference.”
UPDATE: You can view the ad (for a while I guess) at: http://www.hcz.org/press/news/292-hcz-at-the-oscars
