In classrooms all across the United States and in American schools abroad, the Giraffe Heroes Program gives schools and youth groups an approach to kids that fosters courageous compassion, active citizenship and academic success.

The Program has been created in versions to reach kids from 5 through 20, from kindergarten to past high school. All versions combine service-learning, character education, civic education. All rely heavily on the stories of Giraffe Heroes-the extraordinary people honored by the Giraffe Heroes Project for sticking their necks out for the common good.

All versions takes students through a natural three-stage learning process:

Stage 1: Hear the Story: Students learn the stories of Giraffe heroes, people who have stuck their necks out for the common good.

Stage 2: Tell the Story: Students take what they've learned and become more active, doing research in their textbooks, in media, in their communities, and in their families, looking for more real heroes.

Stage 3: Become the Story: Moved by the stories they've absorbed, the kids emulate Giraffes, choosing a problem they care about and creating their own service project to address that problem. The story of their project then becomes one that can inspire others.

This program draws the bridge from heroic stories to service-learning, at once inspiring and useful.

-CMS Review