Local students will activate HOPE with Sweethearts & Heroes: 10/23-10/26
HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. –– October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, and an amazing duo of superheroes without capes will end the month by showing students and educators in Hoosick Falls and Cambridge, N.Y., how they can spread HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist) in their classrooms — and beyond.
Tom Murphy and Rick Yarosh, of Sweethearts & Heroes, will work in the Hoosick Falls Central School District on Monday, Oct. 23 and Tuesday, Oct. 24. They will be in the Cambridge Central School District from Wednesday, Oct. 25 to Thursday, Oct. 26.
Sweethearts & Heroes is a student empowerment and empathy activation team that aims to prevent bullying and suicide with a focus on the basic components of social-emotional learning (SEL). Sweethearts & Heroes offers a profound, engaging signature presentation that calls for HOPE, Empathy and Action; Circle, which is built on the ancient ritual of communicating in a circle to build empathy; and BRAVES Buddies, which trains older students in bully drills that they, in turn, teach to students in lower grades.
The Sweethearts & Heroes team is: Tom Murphy, Director and Founder, of St. Albans, Vt.; Ret. U.S. Army Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a HOPE expert and motivational speaker from New York who was burned severely while serving in Iraq; and Pat Fish, BRAVES and Circle Leader. (For more on Circle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q286yIL9L1E)
While in Hoosick Falls and Cambridge, Murphy and Yarosh will offer their signature presentation during several assemblies. They will also conduct Circle activities with students and staff, and Yarosh will lead Q&A sessions for students.
Murphy said, “We’re heading to Hoosick Falls and Cambridge to cultivate compassion and empathy. We aim to stop students from making destructive decisions and help them treat each other with kindness. We also make our messages sustainable in schools, so that they have an eventual and sustainable effect on the local community. The spider web effect is powerful and incredible, and there is HOPE for everyone.”
To ensure this sustainability, Sweethearts & Heroes created The HOPE Classroom, a digital subscription service designed for various grade levels and different school sizes. This value-packed offering can allow Sweethearts & Heroes to be in every school in the U.S. For more information visit: https://thehopeclassroom.com/.
“We are excited to participate in the Sweethearts & Heroes Program with Tom Murphy and Rick Yarosh. Their work with students on bullying prevention and instilling empathy is inspiring. It aligns perfectly with the focus on character, respect and integrity the school district is working towards in the coming years.” said Superintendent Patrick Dailey.
For more than 16 years, Sweethearts & Heroes has presented what Murphy calls “‘the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying” to more than 2.5 million students in school districts from New England to Hawaii and north into Canada. Sweethearts & Heroes also tailors its presentations and workshops for businesses, non-profits and civic groups. Murphy said, “We go where we’re needed. That’s what heroes do.”
In 2021, Sweethearts & Heroes released 13 Pillows For Affective Teachers, a novel that covers the themes of HOPE, Empathy and Action in the Sweethearts & Heroes curriculum. 13 Pillows is based on real students and teachers that Sweethearts & Heroes has encountered. Murphy co-wrote the book with Brian McKeon, of New York. 13 Pillows is available on Amazon. Digital or printed copies are available upon request. The audiobook is on Audible. (On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/13Pillows)
CONTACTS:
•Tom Murphy, Director/Founder, Sweethearts & Heroes: 802-309-9539
•Leon Thompson, Media Relations/Communication Specialist, Sweethearts & Heroes: 802-309-3198, wunwish@yahoo.com
For more information on Sweethearts & Heroes, visit: sweetheartsandheroes.com.
Or watch these short, impactful trailers:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetheartsandheroes/
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChmbRNNgpGWkMRIUxSS-bGg
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