Is Peace Heroes a religious program?
No. And yet, we do not shy away from engaging with and respecting the wide range of religious traditions our Heroes identify with. The religious convictions of our Heroes are often a dominating factor in why they chose to act the way they did and we have made the conscious decision to not strip them of this identity. However, we are not a religious organization. One of our primary values is to help students reach across the divides religious identities often create.
Does Peace Heroes have a political affiliation?
No, Peace Heroes is a non-partisan organization. One of our primary values is to help students reach across the divides political identities often create.
What age group are these resources for?
Students of all ages! Educators have used these Peace Heroes stories with students in preschool and in Advanced Placement secondary courses. When an activity is specifically designed for early years students or only appropriate for upper years, a special note is made. Higher level readers will be able to read content directly from the units while recommended picture books are listed for younger students. Our materials are created from the perspective of Universal Design for Learning so that students of all levels and types of intelligences can find a point of engagement with the material.
Can Peace Heroes be used by homeschoolers?
Yes. Although the activities use “student/teacher/classroom” language, many parents have found Peace Heroes to be an engaging and easily adaptable homeschool program.
Is Peace Heroes only for schools and homeschools? What about camps or clubs or youth programs or…?
Our resources can be adapted to nearly any context! We’ve already heard of summer camps which have focused their entire camp programming on a Peace Heroes story, religious communities who have used it with their children and youth programs, and parents who have simply enjoyed learning about these stories with their children at home. Contact us for information about adapting our stories for your context!
Can Peace Heroes work as a Social Emotional Learning Curriculum?
Yes. Social and emotional learning is built into every Peace Heroes resource. This is a program that is geared toward the whole child, not just their intellect. There are many recognized strategies for integrating SEL into students’ learning, such as personal reflection, engagement with younger students and older community members, exploration of diverse cultures, team-work, community participation and social action, artistic expression, empathy building, and more. Strategies like these are woven into the very fabric of the Peace Heroes program. If you are interested in more in-depth training that relates to social and emotional learning, please contact Peace Heroes to schedule a consultation.
Are any of these resources translated into other languages?
Not yet. But if you send us your request, maybe we can work together to make this happen. Translating the Peace Heroes program into a wide variety of languages is one of our future goals.
Can you connect us with other Peace Heroes students around the world?
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Please connect with us and let us know a bit about where you are and what sort of connection you’re interested in and we’ll see what can be arranged. Building bridges between people is the reason this program exists, so we’d love to help you make this happen.
What is the most effective teaching style for Peace Heroes?
Telling stories. At its heart, Peace Heroes is based on the power of stories. Whenever you tell your students a compelling story, you tap into their imaginations, their emotions, and their vision for what’s possible. Depending on the age of your students, you may need to adapt the language and style of the content to make it accessible for them, but always remember that you are telling a story. In every section of the resources we suggest high quality picture books, chapter books, and films that all tell parts of the Peace Hero’s story in creative ways. And of course we love hearing about teachers who show up in costume, telling the story from the perspective of the Hero, or classes that write their own plays to share the story with others! Never underestimate the power of a good story.
What order should I teach the resources in?
Any order you choose. Each resource, although it follows a consistent pattern and enhances the others, can stand alone or act as an introduction to the Peace Heroes program.
Where are the worksheets?
We’re so glad you asked. Peace Heroes intentionally uses very few worksheets. Our resources are used by schools around the world from a wide range of cultures and educational approaches. Worksheets are rarely universally accessible. Our classroom activities are designed to be authentic, open-ended, and creative. The few times a specific handout is required, we provide a link to it on our website.
How long will each Peace Hero’s story take to teach?
How much time do you have? The resources are flexible and allow you to choose the activities that fit with your schedule and students. We know of schools that have chosen to study one Peace Hero for an entire term, while others have selected only a few activities from each section to enhance subjects they already teach.
What about assessment?
Our program intentionally doesn’t depend on memorization-based quizzes or tests as we are convinced the values students learn from these heroes are much more important than any specific details. Although you might need to evaluate the degree to which students engage with classroom and individual activities, we hope you’ll lean away from performance-based assessments and rather celebrate your students’ authentic learning experiences.
Do you want feedback?
Yes! Please send us your feedback, your photos of Peace Heroes in action, your ideas, and your suggestions. We’d love to hear from you.