Outreach

The National Liberty Museum Young Heroes Outreach Program is an educational resource designed to empower students to work for positive change in their schools and communities through volunteer work, leadership, peer mediation, political involvement, art or creative writing. It is an extension of the National Liberty Museum Young Heroes Award sponsored by TD Bank, which recognizes students between the ages of 8 and 18 based on nominations submitted to the Museum. Winners are honored at an awards ceremony, where they receive a certificate of achievement, a medallion, and other gifts. One student is named the President's Honor Winner, which provides a $1,000 prize and a lap top computer. Additionally, all of the winners have their stories featured in the Museum's Young Heroes Exhibit for an entire year.

The Young Heroes Outreach Program incorporates the following components to create and support a culture of achievement in your school:

Auditorium or in-class workshop for participating classes

A Museum outreach educator will lead a session up to 45 minutes in length using multimedia technologies. The goals of the workshop are the following:

  • Students will demonstrate changes in their comprehension of the world around them and their role in improving it, both on a small and large scale.
  • Students will align their own actions with positive values and behaviors (e.g. compassion, understanding, hard work, perseverance, cooperation, conflict resolution and leadership).
  • Students will identify how their time, talents, and resources can be used to help others.
  • Students will explore practical tools to resolve issues in their communities.
  • Students will have an increased awareness of the annual National Liberty Museum Young Heroes Award sponsored by TD Bank.
  • Participating educators will gain increased confidence in student-led efforts to achieve positive change, leading to their support of the students' activities.

Creation of a school-wide Young Heroes Club

Museum educators will encourage students to form a National Liberty Museum Young Heroes Club** at their school. This certified group will be expected to develop a "Young Heroes Strategic Plan" for their school and organize at least one major project/program that is directed at their school community.

**Certified Young Heroes Clubs will be entitled to one free field trip to the National Liberty Museum during the school year and all club members will receive a one-year family membership to the Museum. Additionally, Young Heroes Club advisors/teachers will have the opportunity to participate in an Act 48 Teacher Training Workshop at the National Liberty Museum at no charge.

Short- and long-term evaluation of the program's impact on the school's culture

National Liberty Museum educators will stay in contact with teachers throughout the remainder of the school year to reinforce our work and to gauge the impact of the presentation. If applicable, we will also measure the students' progress on their Young Heroes Strategic Plan.

To learn more about the National Liberty Museum's Young Heroes Outreach Program, please call Kevin Orangers, Vice President of Programs, at 215-925-2800, ext. 133 or email outreach@libertymuseum.org.