2 How do I get started?
Call our exclusive distributors, Free Spirit Publishing at 800.735.7323.

3 Has your program been evaluated? What were the results?
Yes. A formal third-party study of the Program was completed by a team of evaluators from the University of Washington in late 1997 for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
   100% of teachers in the study stated that they observed some or many positive attitude and behavior changes in students as a result of using The Giraffe Heroes Program.
   They particularly noted an increase in self-esteem, caring, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
   75% of teachers said they observed positive changes in their own attitude or behavior as a result of using the Program.
   92% of teachers rated the overall effectiveness of The Giraffe Heroes Program as excellent.
   100% rated its user-friendliness as excellent.
   83% said they would encourage other teachers to use it.
   A second outside evaluation, also funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, showed strongly positive results as well.

The Department of Education's Safe and Drug Free Schools Program has listed the Giraffe Heroes Program in its Supplemental Materials and has approved its purchase with SDFS block grants. They are designated "Supplemental Materials."

California—The Giraffe Heroes Program has passed the social content "compliance review" of the California Department of Education. This means the Program is approved for purchase with up to 30 percent of state Instructional Materials Fund (IMF) monies or through petitions requested through the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Office of the California Department of Education. Note: the high school edition of the Giraffe Heroes Program was not included in this review.

New Jersey—The Giraffe Heroes Program was named a Character Education Program of Merit. This means the Program qualifies for funding under the New Jersey Character Education Partnership (NJCEP). $4.65 million is available under the NJCEP to school districts during the 2000-2001 school year.

Utah—The Giraffe Heroes Program received the highest rating ("Adopt-Comprehensive") from the Utah State Office of Education. This means Giraffe Heroes materials are approved and can be purchased by schools or districts with funds designated for state instructional materials.

4 Have any analyses been done to correlate the Giraffe Heroes Program with national standards?

Yes. Correlations have been completed to national standards for academic learning, service learning, character education and the "40 Developmental Assets".

5 Is there someone doing the program that I can talk to?
We can send you a list of teachers who have experience with the Program and are willing to answer questions you may have.

6 How much does the Giraffe Heroes Program cost?
K-2, 3-5, 6-9 teaching guides are $195 + S & H. You'll need one guide per facilitator.
10-12  student books are $17 each.
A 10-12 classroom package is $95 for 1 student book, a resource guide and a video.

A one-day Training for up to 40 participants is $1500, plus travel.
Click here for more information on trainings.

7 Where can I get the money to do this program?
Educators have found funding in their own systems through regular curriculum purchase channels and funds for supplementary materials.
Check out sources of local funding for service and character building activities  such as PTAs, service clubs, civic-minded businesses and local foundations.
Many states now have federal funding for character education and service-learning- check with your state office of education.
Federal funding also includes Learn and Serve grants, Safe and Drug Free schools money, and many other less well-known sources. Check them out at the Department of Education's website.

8 Do you have any text I can use for grant applications?
Yes, call the Giraffe Project at 800-853-7550; we can send you copies of successful proposals that you can draw from.

9 Do you have any free materials?
Yes. There's a free classroom lesson and many Giraffe stories you can print out here on the website.

10 Why don't you give it all away? Isn't the Giraffe Project a nonprofit?
Yes, we're nonprofit, but unfortunately, nonprofit doesn't mean "free." The Foundations that have funded the creation of the Giraffe Heroes Program expect us to earn our way in the educational world, and not to compete unfairly with for-profit companies. One thing you can be sure of in dealing with a nonprofit- nobody here is pocketing big bucks.

11 Do facilitators need a training to do the program?
The guides are self-explanatory, but we've found that people who attend trainings have more successful, comprehensive and longer lasting programs. A training also puts users in touch with each other, so they can compare results and assist each other.

12 Is there a training, soon, near me?
Call the Giraffe Project to see if one has been scheduled near you. 800.853.7550.

13 Can the Giraffe Heroes Program be used in a non-school setting?
Certainly. The Program has been used with faith-based groups, afterschool clubs, before and after school care programs, scouts, Y's, even by neighborhood parents who have gotten "kids on the block" together to do the Program.

14 What grade levels does the program cover?
We have separate programs for K-2, 3-5, 6-9 and High School.

15 How do the different age level programs differ from each other?
Stories, tasks, and exercises are chosen for grade appropriate content and written to be used for the designated grade level. Overall-the guides progress in complexity and sophistication. For example, kindergarten children may make posters for their media, whereas the high schoolers are capable of making a video for a news program or writing and delivering a press release; first graders may take on a service project that's right in their schoolyard; older kids may tackle challenges that deal with community problems. In form, the editions for K-2, 3-5 and 6-9 consist of a looseleaf teaching guide and a videotape. The K-2 edition also includes audiotapes. The High School edition consists of a teacher's resource guide plus individual student copies of It's Up To Us, a paperback book.

16 In what curriculum areas does it fit?
The curriculum fits into many standard curriculum areas, but primarily language arts and social studies. It's also been used successfully for classes in civics, leadership and life skills and for both gifted and special ed groups. It's ideal content for meeting community service and/or character education requirements.

The strong focus on doing service projects outside the classroom makes it good for after-school programs, weekend programs and summer camps.

17 How much time does the program take?
This varies widely depending on the service project the students do, but it usually takes a semester when used for one session per week.

18 How does it work to use the program year after year in one school?
Some schools divide the Program into sections for different grade levels, focusing on learning about heroes one year or semester and doing a service project the second. Different Giraffe stories can be used for different  grade levels, thus avoiding repetition. The service project is such an important part of the Program, students can keep returning to that part of it, each year doing different service projects.

19 Can I get more stories?
Yes, purchasers of the Program can call the Project for additional stories.

20 Is the Program national?
International, in fact. Classrooms in every state and American schools in five countries have the Program.

21 How long has the Program been around?
The Giraffe Project began working in the schools in 1991. The materials are regularly updated, incorporating new stories as well as feedback from teachers.

22 Is the Program used in religious settings?
Although the Giraffe Heroes Program was developed for public schools and is completely secular, it is used in faith-based schools by adding materials from the religion's traditions. The core concept of compassion and courageous service to others are compatible with religious materials.
   Teachers in Jewish schools may want to look into The Ziv Giraffe Program, a collaboration between the Giraffe Project and the Ziv Tzedakah Program. Ziv Giraffe combines Jewish texts with heroes' stories from the Giraffe Project and from Ziv Tzedakah. Find out more at www.ziv.org or call Naomi Eisenberger at 973.763.9396.

23 Is the Giraffe Project still doing press on heroes?
Yes. Giraffes and the Project have been featured on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, and in Parade, Time, the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, among many, many media outlets and books. The Giraffe Heroes Program has been described on the Lifetime Channel, in Education Week, NEA Today, Independent Schools and many publications covering character education and service-learning.