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New website promotes national unity through innovative student projects CHICAGO (30 January 2002) - Type A Learning Agency and GreatSchool are pleased to announce www.youngheartslead.org, a collection of projects and reflections designed to help teachers and students stay positively involved in America’s mission for freedom. These materials, intended for students in grades three through eight, offer children the opportunity to learn, reflect, act, and serve in response to the challenges our nation has faced since September 11, 2001. “Children are generous by their nature,” explains Marita Decker, CEO of GreatSchool, a company specializing in teacher development products and education consulting. “After the events of September 11, many students have wanted to help contribute to our national response. They see our firemen, policemen, military personnel, their parents, and others serving and sharing their resources, and sometimes feel frustrated that they can’t do more themselves.” YoungHeartsLead.org attempts to address some of these concerns by providing an outlet for students to explore the national situation and participate in projects that foster both individual and collaborative responses in this time of national need. Initially, five projects are available. One such project, Bands of Strength, invites students to reach out to those working most immediately to deal with the aftermath of the attacks. Children are asked to create sets of three friendship bracelets, consisting of one for themselves, one for a worker at “ground zero,” and one for inclusion in a tapestry created by GreatSchool. Although students are welcome to participate in Bands of Strength at any time, they are especially encouraged to complete sets of bracelets by February 20, for inclusion in a six-month commemoration on March 11. Another project, America’s Great Links, ask participants to join in a national community initiative by creating construction paper chains that highlight an American strength on each link. Information about these chains will be compiled by GreatSchool, with the goal of creating a chain long enough to encircle the globe. Besides the unity projects, YoungHeartsLead.org also features a community section, allowing teachers and other student leaders to post information about their students and the projects in which they participated. “When GreatSchool came to us to talk about this collection of projects, we immediately understood the need that they were trying to address, and saw how the web could be used to get the word out,” said Anna Belyaev, Type A’s CEO. “While these projects are designed to be used in the classroom, the YoungHeartsLead.org website serves as an easy way to make them available to everyone, as well as a focus point to which teachers and others can return with their feedback and information about their experiences.” While the immediate challenges related to September 11 will eventually be overcome, GreatSchool doesn’t see YoungHeartsLead.org as a site with a limited usefulness. “YoungHeartsLead.org is about more than September 11,” says Decker, “it’s about providing our children with an outlet to explore, learn, and act in the face of challenges within our communities, our country, and throughout the world. Over time, the site will evolve to sponsor ongoing leadership development opportunities for children. The projects may change, but the message is one of perpetual importance.” YoungHeartsLead.org officially launched on January 14, 2002, and can be accessed at http://www.youngheartslead.org. CONTACTS: Anna Belyaev Marita Decker
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