Dear Friends,

All are invited to cast a vote for the 2025 MY HERO International Film Festival's People's Choice Awards.

MY HERO staff has curated a selection of inspiring short films, by student and professional filmmakers, for these ballots.



Viewing, discussing and voting on these short films is a great way to start a discussion about heroes and heroism in the classroom. Check out our Teacher's Guide to Online Voting in the Classroom to help your students vote.

Two ballots are available — one for viewers in middle school and up and one geared toward elementary school students, which can also be enjoyed by people of all ages.

• MY HERO People's Choice Ballot (runtime 32 minutes)

• Ballot for a Young Audience. (runtime 29 minutes)

Voting opens today and remain open until November 14, 2025.

Please share this opportunity with parents and teachers that you know.

Warmly,

Santos Herrera, Rachel Priebe,

and the Film Festival Team

Art has the power to inspire, uplift, and soothe. It also has the power to call attention to remarkable individuals working to make the world a better place. The MY HERO Project's Visualize Heroism Art Contest offers a great opportunity for students of all ages to showcase their artistic talents while celebrating the heroes in their lives.

Artists choose the medium — drawing, painting, photography, or digital art — and creatively express their appreciation for the local or global heroes who have touched their lives. Learn more.

British reggae artists Pato Banton and Antoinette Rootsdawtah perform at MY HERO's 30th Anniversary Celebration


On September 20th, families, students, and longtime supporters filled the seats of the Rivian South Coast Theater, in Laguna Beach, California, to celebrate The MY HERO Project's 30th Anniversary of online storytelling. Launched as an experiment in 1995, MY HERO has grown into one of the world’s largest collections of hero-themed stories, art, and films that have been shared and enjoyed by more than 125 million people in 197 countries.

MY HERO co-founder Jeanne Meyers welcomed guest speaker Esther Wojcicki, the educator and journalism advocate who co-created the new MY HERO Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook, produced and published thanks to a generous grant from the Scripps Family Impact Fund.

Wojcicki spoke at the event about the powerful learning that takes place when students work together on a film:

“The most effective is when you work together with another student on a project that you personally are interested in. It’s called peer-to-peer learning and that’s what this book teaches. We’re trying to help kids be as empowered as possible, feel as good about themselves as possible.”

The MY HERO Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook is currently being used in schools across the nation and is available to download online or order in print through Amazon. Order your copy here.

MY HERO also produced a 30-minute companion film to the workbook. Reel Heroes: Student Films and Filmmakers showcases outstanding short films made by students over the years.

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

Help support MY HERO's global learning community.