Dear Friends,

Thank you for supporting MY HERO as we begin 2026. We are grateful to the Scripps Family Impact Fund for supporting the MY HERO International Film Festival, publication of the MY HERO Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook, and production of Reel Heroes: Student Films and Filmmakers.

In this issue, download the workbook, watch the award-winning films, and submit to the 2026 festival.

Sincerely,

The MY HERO Team



With support from the Scripps Family Impact Fund, MY HERO continues to expand filmmaking and storytelling resources for educators and students.

The MY HERO Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook, written by media teacher Jonah Steinhart with a foreword by Global Educator Esther Wojcicki, is being used in classrooms in the United States and abroad. Educators use the workbook to guide students through reporting, storytelling, and short-film production.



MY HERO continues its work at Los Angeles Unified School District's Ascot Avenue Elementary. The MY HERO curriculum is also being used in classrooms at Lincoln High School in Los Angeles.

To request a digital download of the workbook, email myhero@myheroproejct.org.

Rachel Priebe 
Assistant Film Festival Director

Feb 11 — Northwest Regional Equity Conference (NWREC), Clark College, Vancouver, Washington (in person and virtual) — Rachel Priebe will present “Reclaiming Our Narratives: Hero Stories as Tools for Equity and Justice,” a practical session for educators on using MY HERO stories and the Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook to support classroom storytelling and equity-focused media literacy.

Learn more at the NWREC Conference website

Feb 24–25 — California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) Conference, Long Beach Convention Center — Visit the MY HERO booth for the workbook, curriculum resources, and program information.

Learn more at the CCSA Conference website

On Saturday, January 10, Part 2 of the MY HERO International Film Festival Awards Ceremony took place online. Highlights are below:

Presented each year by Judith Anderson, Ph.D. and sponsored by the Foundation for the Contemporary Family, this award honors short films about connection within contemporary families.

·       Bubbles (Los Ángeles Barea)

·       A Place to Call Home (Stephanie Tran)

Presented by Jeni Stepanek, this award honors visual poems with messages of hope and peace.



·       Professional: Not Alone (Maryam Imogen Ghouth, UK)

·       High School: Forgetting to be Grandpa (Alexander Lyon)

·       Middle School: The End of My Pink Cake Life (Alyssa Wu)

·       Elementary: Give it a Try, (Delight Ratesh Mc’Dan, Kenya)


The 2025 winner is Ko (Aqua), directed by Maria Jose Calderon. The film features the theme song from Water For Life, directed by Will Parrinello of the Mill Valley Film Group.

Watch all winning films on The MY HERO website.

Submissions are open for the 2026 MY HERO International Film Festival, a celebration of films that shine a light on heroes around the world.

Categories include Narrative, Documentary, Music Video, Experimental, and Animation, with divisions from elementary school through professional.

Learn more and submit your work today!


Congratulations to the winners of the Visualize Heroism Contest.

Learn Learn more

Check out the upcoming call for entries for art, poetry

and short films at myhero.com/contests


Deadline: March 1, 2026 — Student artists of all ages are invited to submit hero portraits. Entries will be judged by Robert Shetterly and the MY HERO Gallery staff.

Learn more



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.