As part of an ongoing partnership with the St. Regis Falls Central School District, an amazing superhero without a cape from “The World’s #1 Youth Leadership Team” recently returned to the area.
Pat Fish, of Sweethearts & Heroes, was in the St. Regis Falls CSD on Monday, Nov. 10. Sweethearts & Heroes aims to prevent hopelessness, bullying and suicide by providing dynamic, inspiring content that centers on the human interaction skills necessary for schools and other organizations to change all aspects of their culture, skills such as empathy, compassion and teamwork.
Sweethearts & Heroes’ offers programs including:
A profound, engaging signature presentation that calls for HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist), Empathy and Action;
Circle, which is built on the ancient ritual of communicating in a circle to build compassion and empathy;
The BRAVE Youth Leadership System, which trains older students in bully drills that they, in turn, teach to students in lower grades, thus creating a sustainable, student-directed initiative;
And The Kennedy Columbus STEP Program (Student Teacher Empathy Program), which teaches high school students how to present Sweethearts & Heroes’ signature assemblies to students in grades K-2 and 3-5 in a small-group, classroom setting.
Sweethearts & Heroes’ central team of traveling presenters includes Fish, the team’s BRAVE & Circle Specialist. While in the district on Nov. 10, Fish wove Circles with students, a natural follow-up to the anti-bullying assemblies that Sweethearts & Heroes delivered to the students during the 2024-25 school year.
Fish returns to the district in January to begin work on the BRAVE System with a sponsorship from Ellis Chevrolet.
Lucas Farmer, a fourth grader, said Circle helps classmates share and connect.
“Circles make people laugh. It’s fun,” Lucas said. “We’re happy and joyful, talking about things that happened, good and bad. Sometimes there’s a lot in our heads and we need to let it out. When Sweethearts & Heroes aren’t here, if someone is sad, we make a little circle and talk about our feelings.”
David Hart, an 11th grader, said the program teaches listening skills.
“You need to give others a chance to share their opinions, beliefs and experiences,” David said. “If something’s going on, you want them to be able to say something.”
Cora Rivers, a seventh grader, said Circle helps students relate to each other.
“People can get emotional, and it’s a great way to connect,” Cora said. “Sometimes it’s better to talk instead of holding things in. After Sweethearts & Heroes visit, students are nicer and more understanding.”
Fish said, “Circle is an opportunity for amazing stories to be shared and heard. Amazing isn’t good or bad. Some amazing stories I’ve heard are heartbreaking, others are heartwarming, and others are downright hilarious. But every single one of us has an amazing story, because we all have unique experiences. Circle allows everyone a chance to share those stories and, more importantly, practice listening so that we can learn others’ amazing stories. Also, everyone practices various social-emotional skills in Circle. What sets us apart? We make it fun! Everywhere we go, there’s a thirst for Circle from students of all ages, social groups and backgrounds. They want to connect further with people around them. Circle is a vehicle for that.”
For more than 16 years, Sweethearts & Heroes has presented what Director and Co-Founder Tom 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 professional development workshops for businesses, non-profits and civic groups. Murphy said, “We go where we’re needed. That’s what heroes do.”
Sweethearts & Heroes’ books are Boredom School: For Those Bored in School, a collection of captivating, humorous and thought-provoking poems by Fish; 13 Pillows For Affective Teachers, a novel by Murphy and Brian McKeon, both of Vermont, that covers the themes of HOPE, Empathy and Action in the Sweethearts & Heroes curriculum; and A Bridge Named Amos, by Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a Purple Heart recipient and Sweethearts & Heroes’ expert on HOPE. The book tells the heartwarming story of Yarosh’s late service dog and personal hero, Amos.
Sweethearts & Heroes has also 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 on Sweethearts & Heroes, find them here on social media.