Courage in My Life

For more information about this program, please contact Elizabeth Evans.

Overview | Books

The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum's sixth grade program is a yearlong literacy and character education program that meets the Massachusetts State Learning Standards for the sixth grade. Over ninety-five percent of BPS sixth-grade teachers have chosen to use this comprehensive language arts program because it successfully engages students in reading, writing, discussion, and critical thinking.

Max’s Story: Students begin the Curriculum by reading about Max Warburg and watching a video about his life. The power of Max’s story lies not in his early death, but in how he dealt with adversity. His positive attitude and actions show students that they too are capable of acts of courage.

Novels and Discussion: The belief that children can be courageous is reinforced through reading, discussion, and writing. Students read six carefully selected novels about children that have courage as their central theme. The novels are:
The Courage Curriculum reaches students at a critical time in their ethical and moral development – early adolescence. Using the Curriculum novels as a starting point for classroom discussions, teachers help students understand that courage can take many different forms. One of the goals of the Courage Curriculum is to help young people understand that we all face challenges in life – both large and small, and that we all have the capacity to be “everyday heroes.” Through this program, children come to realize that their actions can be powerful agents of change.

Teaching Materials: Each teacher receives a kit of six Curriculum Guides. These comprehensive guides correspond with the Courage Curriculum novels and are aligned with city and state learning standards. The teachers also receive a videotape that has two distinct segments: 1) a 9-minute piece about Max Warburg to show students as an introduction to the Courage Curriculum; and 2) a 45-minute guide for educators, featuring suggestions from teachers who have used the program and interviews with some of the authors of the six novels.

Classroom Volunteers: Every year, adult volunteers visit the classrooms that use the Courage Curriculum to lead discussions about the virtue of courage. Many knew Max and share their memories of him with the students. Volunteers participate in a training session, where they receive supporting materials, including suggested activity ideas to make the visits more interactive. This component of the program supports the teachers and helps students make a deeper connection with young people as role models of courage.

Professional Development and Enrichment for Teachers: Teachers are invited to a conference at the beginning of the academic year to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences using the Curriculum. Guest speakers have included the authors of the six novels and leading educators. The goal of this event is to support new and veteran teachers, who participate in the program, and get valuable feedback on the Curriculum’s impact in their classrooms. On a recent conference evaluation, one teacher wrote, “The Curriculum brings out the best in the students. I hope it continues forever.”

Courage Essays: As the culminating activity of the program, each student writes an essay on the topic of “Courage in My Life.” The process of writing and editing the essay brings all the pieces of the Curriculum together – reading, writing, discussion, and critical thinking. Though the students’ stories vary widely, the common theme of courage unites them all.

The students’ essays are entered in the annual Essay Contest. This year more than 1,800 entries were submitted to the contest. A panel of judges comprised of local authors, professors, journalists, educators, and members of the community reads each of the essays.

The Courage Books and the Warburg Fellows Award: The winning essays are all published in a beautifully bound book, The Courage of Boston’s Children. Alongside each essay is a professional photographic portrait of the writer. The books are given to every sixth grader, and to all school libraries. Each student who participates in the Courage Curriculum also receives a Certificate of Participation. The essay contest winners are honored alongside their teachers at the annual spring Awards Luncheon, where the students receive the Warburg Fellows Award.

Awards Luncheon: The Awards Luncheon is the Courage Curriculum’s celebration of the unique bond that develops between teachers and students as they work together and learn from each other in the process of writing and editing the Courage Essays. The festive event features guest speakers (including the Mayor and Superintendent) and a ceremony during which the Warburg Fellows receive Max Warburg Courage Curriculum Inc. medals. The Warburg medal represents hard work, validation from adults and peers, and above all, courage. For the students, the Awards Luncheon provides the chance to shine in front of their teachers, families, peers, and the community at-large. For the teachers, this event is an opportunity to be recognized for their dedication and success in inspiring a new generation of learners. For some parents and guardians, they are able to see their child in a whole new light.

Results: Since its inception in 1991, the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum Inc. has expanded beyond the Boston Public Schools to several charter, parochial, and suburban schools. It has reached more than 75,000 students, added thousands of books to public and school libraries, and helped hundreds of teachers to celebrate courage and literacy in their classrooms. Based on the tremendous achievement and positive feedback in the Boston Public Schools, the curriculum looks forward to expanding the program to new communities. Max’s legacy continues to touch the lives of young people in Boston and beyond. The Courage Curriculum is currently being successfully taught in schools as far away as The Prince Royal’s College in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The success of the program is evident from the enthusiasm of the students and teachers, the quality of the students’ writing, and the pride of the students, teachers, and families at the culmination of the program.