Write a commentAn amazing duo of superheroes without capes will emerge upon Central Square to show students and educators how they can spread HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist) in their classrooms — and beyond.
Sweethearts and Heroes, a student empowerment and empathy activation team that aims to prevent bullying and suicide with a focus on social-emotional learning, will be bringing its message to Central Square Middle School on Monday, April 24.
The Sweethearts and Heroes team is Tom Murphy, director, of St. Albans, Vermont; 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, an aspiring young leader who first saw Sweethearts and Heroes as a student in South Glens Falls, N.Y.
“I have been fortunate enough to see Tom and Rick preset before, and I am very excited they can bring their important message to Central Square,” said Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Kristin Enright. “We are happy to have them.”
Sweethearts and 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.
While in Central Square on April 24, Murphy and Yarosh will offer their signature presentation to students in 6th grade in the Middle School Cafeteria. Murphy and Yarosh will also give their presentation to 7th and 8th graders in the Paul V. Moore High School Auditorium.
Later in the day., Murphy and Yarosh will co-facilitate Circles back at Central Square Middle School. They will also meet with faculty and staff at the middle school. (For more on Circle: https://youtu.be/C2-DEwtbBOw.)
For more than 15 years, Sweethearts and Heroes has presented what Murphy calls “‘the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying” to more than 2 million students in school districts from New England to Hawaii.
In 2021, Sweethearts and Heroes released 13 Pillows For Affective Teachers, a novel that covers the themes of HOPE, Empathy and Action in the Sweethearts and Heroes curriculum. 13 Pillows is based on real students and teachers that Sweethearts and Heroes has encountered. Murphy cowrote the book with Brian McKeon.
For more information on Sweethearts and Heroes, visit: sweetheartsandheroes.com.
