Training Tomorrow's Heroes

"I've looked at other character education programs—a lot of platitiudes;
they just didn't wash because the students didn't live it.
The Giraffe Heroes Program has an impact like nothing else does.
It's not just something they've memorized—they are learning to live it.
This is powerful, powerful stuff."
— Sandra Barbaro, Fulmar Road Elementary, Mahopac NY

GIRAFFE PROGRAMS
Moving kids to be courageous,
caring and responsible members of the community
Telling them about real heroes
Giving them something to say Yes! to

In classrooms all across the United States and in American schools abroad, Giraffe programs give schools and youth groups a powerful approach to kids, one that fosters courageous compassion, active citizenship and academic success.

Our materials were developed to reach kids from 5-year-olds through the teens, from kindergarten to past high school. All Giraffe programs combine service-learning, character education, civic engagement and, in Voices of Hope, literacy training. All feature the stories of Giraffe Heroes—the real people honored by the Giraffe Heroes Project for sticking their necks out for the common good.

The teaching guides are divided into binders for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-9 amd 10-12. Our basic progression in these programs is Hear the story, Tell the story, Be the story. It's sound pedagogy, using the power of story to engage young hearts and minds, constantly drawing forth their own concerns and their own creativity and altruism. Throughout the process, they find and use the many academic skills they need to achieve goals they've set for themselves.

A Free Lesson

To give you a head start on using Giraffe concepts with your students, try this free lesson in Giraffeness.

Find Heroes Right Now

If you'd like to have heroes' stories to tell your students, or if you want them to do some research on their own, there's a storybank of real heroes here, not pop stars or bulletproof guys in capes but actual people of all ages, races and locations who have stuck their necks out for the common good. It's set up in standard database form and is searchable by gender, age, location and by the general problem-area the person has worked on. It's open to you and your students, right now.

Giraffe for Schools & Youth Groups

Click on the following links for details on how the Program works for specific situations~

Program Information

K-2, 3-5, 6-9 & 10-12 Giraffe Heroes Program
Voices of Hope - Literacy and service learning
Stick Your Neck Out
Training/Consultation for Program Implementation

Evaluations

The Giraffe Heroes Program - Training Tomorrow's Heroes

Correlations

The Giraffe Heroes Program correlates positively with national standards in:

Learning (McRel Standards Database—US Dept of Education),
Risk & Prevention (Quest Institute's 40 Developmental Assets),
Character Education (Character Education Partnership's Quality Standards), and
Service-Learning (National Service-Learning Partnership's Essential Elements of Service-Learning Practice)

Stories from the field

QUICK LOOKS

Elementary students doing The Giraffe Heroes Program school-wide have collected newspaper, kitty litter and pet food for the local animal shelter, had a "Penny Drive for Puppies," a bake sale, and a "pledge pet walk," with all proceeds going to the Humane Society.
A multi-age class in a small island community studied sea animals, then produced booklets containing facts about these animals and solutions to problems they face. The students then went in teams to other classes, teaching other students how to protect the ocean environment. They also spoke on the school intercom and placed an article in the local newspaper. Another class joined them on a beach cleanup field trip.
Students at an urban school made presentations about homelessness to other classes at their school and held an auction to raise money for a local food bank. All auction items were donated or collected by the students; the entrance fee to the auction was a can of food.