Dear Friends,



Jeanne Meyers, Co-founder of The MY HERO Project is pleased to announce that leadership of the organization will pass to board member and longtime supporter Mohamed Sidibay. Meyers has directed this commercial-free, award-winning, educational project for over three decades.

In 1995, Meyers launched the nonprofit organization with Chicago friends Karen Pritzker and Rita Stern Milch, as an online alternative to the violence and negativity prevalent in mass media, and with a goal of providing diverse positive role models for young people. Today, The MY HERO website hosts one of the world’s largest free media libraries showcasing heroes from all walks of life. 

Jeanne Meyers, Rita Stern Milch and Karen Pritzker
MY HERO Co-founders
photo credit: Francis Parker School

Professional and student filmmakers, artists, writers and musicians, of all ages, contribute inspiring work to MY HERO's ever-growing online library. Each year, millions of visitors discover and share stories, art, audio, music, short films on this award-winning website. Teachers create media-rich lesson plans, using MY HERO content, to promote critical thinking skills, and provide hope and inspiration to students around the world.



MY HERO has provided media arts education workshops around the globe, designed to help students make short films about their heroes. Students are invited to submit their work for free to the annual MY HERO International Film Festival, now in its 22nd year. Awards and prizes are given to professional and student filmmakers for outstanding short films, which can be viewed online in MY HERO’s library. 

Mohamed Sidibay - Incoming Director of The MY HERO Project

Taking the helm is Mohamed Sidibay, an accomplished attorney and global education advocate. He has taken part in MY HERO since he was a teenager and has served on the MY HERO board for the past few years. 

It is an honor to carry forward the vision Jeanne Meyers began with such care and conviction. MY HERO showed me, as a young person, that stories can do more than inspire — they can restore dignity, deepen empathy, and help us imagine a more peaceful world. Education rebuilt my life, and storytelling helped me find my voice. At a time when so many young people are living through fear, violence, and uncertainty, I'm committed to ensuring that MY HERO remains a home for courageous stories, creative expression, and the belief that every life has value. - Mohamed Sidibay

Sidibay holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from George Washington University, an LL.M. from Université Paris II Panthéon‑Assas (with high honors) and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. 

Mohamed Sidibay host of MY HERO's 2014 International Day of Peace Celebration

His commitment to education is personal. As a child in Sierra Leone, he survived the civil war and later entered a rehabilitation program. He credits education with helping him rebuild his life and has spent his career supporting learning opportunities for young people in crisis settings. Sidibay is a UNESCO advisor and an internationally acclaimed advocate for children’s rights. He has worked with international education efforts and has spoken publicly about the role of storytelling and media literacy in peace-building.

Mohamed Sidibay with Global Educators Erin Gruwell (left) and Mali Bickley (right) 
at The MY HERO International Day of Peace Celebration

“I have witnessed, firsthand, Mohamed’s powerful voice used to educate and inspire students to promote peace, and to advocate for equal access to quality education for all. As a MY HERO college intern, Mohamed hosted the MY HERO Day of Peace Celebration in 2014. He spoke and inspired students at Taft High School, Palo Alto High School, the iEARN Educational Conference and Youth Summit in Canada. Mohamed has brought MY HERO resources and equipment to colleagues at the media center in Sierra Leone. I have relied on his friendship, and mentorship, for many years and am thrilled that he is taking this leadership role.”

— Jeanne Meyers

Co-Founder

The MY HERO Project



Mohamed Sidibay with Eva Haller

“We are very fortunate and, indeed, blessed to have Mohamed Sidibay for our program. I met Mohamed years ago and admired his strength, his elegance, and his ability to see the world in a kinder way than how the world saw him. We are so fortunate to have Mohamed using his knowledge and his positivity for the betterment of all. We welcome Mohamed as the next Director of The MY HERO Project.

— Eva Haller - philanthropist, mentor

and MY HERO board member

Sidibay will be the featured speaker this Saturday at the Eva Haller Salon. His topic will be Building MY HERO: From Stories to a Lasting Institution.

To join us for this virtual salon, email jeanne@myheroproject.org

We need your support for The MY HERO Project so we can continue to provide free educational resources to millions of teachers, students, and families around the world.

Help support MY HERO's global learning community.