The Hero in Every Child

All of us — and students, in particular — need our heroes, and today more than ever. They give us an idea of our own potential. They show us just how far we can go, just how high we can climb.

And heroes are all around us. Inquiet ways,people are holding theworld together by their courage, compassion, perseverance, and hope — all the qualities of a hero.

On top of that, there is a hero in every child — a force, a positive energy with the capacity to help the world in some way. Every child, regardless of gender, age, race, or background, can make a positive difference.

The trouble is kids don’t believe that. They would say that whole idea is crazy. They view themselves as powerless.

To make matters worse, our society is horribly confused about the difference between a hero and a celebrity. And there is a world of difference! We often mistake the celebrity of someone we know from television, movies, or sports as heroism. We spend much more time talking about celebrities than heroes.

So how do we help young people discover their potential heroism? How do we help them understand they have the power to help the world in some meaningful way?

Here are three suggestions:

1) Share examples of heroic people.

There’s simply no more powerful way to convey an ethic of helping others than by sharing stories of heroic people — people who have made a genuine difference to our world. These are people whose character has enabled them to triumph over great obstacles, and to leave a lasting mark on the world. There are countless examples for students — from literature, from history, and from their own lives.

As a writer, I build each of my fictional stories around a hero or heroine — a young person who must dig deep within him or herself in order to triumph over life’s challenges. Characters like young Merlin, who goes on to become the greatest wizard of all time, or young Kate, who must save a magnificent tree — and her community — from destruction.

And, of course, there are countless examples from history — figures like Wilma Rudolph, who triumphed over childhood polio,poverty, and racism to become the fastest woman sprinter in the world. Or Abe Lincoln, who had the wisdom and grace to put the nation’s good above his own. Or Anne Frank, who showed such courage in the Holocaust that her diary has inspired millions of people.

Most compelling of all, however, are stories of contemporary young people — students from all sorts of diverse backgrounds who have made a significant, positive difference to the world. Young people who have used courage, creativity, and commitment to improve the lives of others.

These are the sorts of young people honored by the Gloria Barren Prize for Young Heroes, an award I founded with one simple goal — to turn the spotlight on amazing kids. Examples are Michaella, age 16, who organized a rodeo for disabled kids; Ryan, age 12, who helped provide clean drinking water to more than 70 African villages; and Katie, age 10, who plants massive vegetable gardens in order to help feed the hungry.

These real-life young heroes may never be famous, but they clearly make a difference to our lives. Partly because their actions directly touch other people and make the world a better place. And partly because their examples have great power to inspire. By celebrating the everyday heroes in our midst, we are celebrating our own potential to make a difference to the world.

2) Lead by example.

Our actions truly do speak louder than our words.

My mother, Gloria Barren, lived the life of a teacher who cared deeply about all children. She believed passionately in the power of one person to make a difference to the world. And she didn’t sermonize; she just lived her own life that way — and hoped that her own children and others would, as well.

Her love of children and nature combined to create a remarkable project. For over twenty years, she worked hard to create a unique nature museum at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind — a museum where everything can be touched. Blind kids can experience the grandeur of an eagle by touching its wide wings, just as they can feel a hummingbird’s delicate nest or a polar bear’s rich, soft fur. She never sought any credit for this accomplishment, and the only reward she wanted was the satisfaction of knowing that these kids could now experience some of the wonder and beauty of the natural world.

My mother wasn’t unique in her commitment to helping others. In fact, her work was the sort of quiet heroism that countless teachers, parents, and kids demonstrate every day. And all of us have the power to make similar choices. What we do with our time, what we care about, how we treat others… all these are choices we make daily. And every choice we make says something about who we are. In this way, our choices become our footsteps on the trail of life, and our footsteps become our journey. And who knows? Maybe the trail we walk will become a hero’s trail.

3) Challenge students to identify the qualities they want to live by.

I have the pleasure of speaking with thousands of young people across the country each year. I always ask them: What choices will you make? What qualities will you try to live by?

In my non-fiction book for young adults, The Hero’s Trail, there are seven key qualities I identify with heroism: courage, perseverance, faith, adaptability, moral direction, hope, and humor.

There are others, of course, that teachers and students can add to the list. Challenge students to identify what character qualities matter most to them. Ask them who they most admire — who are their true heroes. Then ask them what kind of people they want to be, and what sort of mark they want to make on the world. Have them research people — the historical and well-known, as well as the young and unsung — who embody those qualities.

Remind students of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wise words: “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”

There is a hero in every child — a force for good that has the capacity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of others. And by nature of his or her humanity, every child carries within qualities of character such as courage, perseverance, and hope. Our job as teachers is to believe passionately in the potential and power of young people. We must show them — by turning the spotlight on real-life, heroic people and by encouraging young people to believe in themselves — that we all can make a difference.