Dear Friends,

We are grateful to the generous donors, foundations and corporations who support MY HERO's mission to use media, art and technology to celebrate the best of humanity. This newsletter highlights supporters of our nonprofit educational organization. We are thankful to all the teachers, students, parents and media makers who participate in our global learning community.

We're very excited to share some wonderful news about MY HERO in this newsletter. Thank you for helping us make this global learning community thrive.

With gratitude,

The MY HERO team

The MY HERO Project has received a generous grant of $536,000 from the Scripps Family Impact Fund to support the MY HERO International Film Festival and Media Arts Education Programs. The grant builds on decades of MY HERO's work supporting youth in discovering and sharing positive media. The grant will also enable MY HERO to link its youth programs more fully with The MY HERO International Film Festival, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024.

The MY HERO International Film Festival brings together professional filmmakers, emerging artists, and students, who's inspiring short films remind us that we all have the potential to overcome great obstacles and achieve our dreams.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, who present Special Awards with Cash Prizes for films in the categories of Peace, Activism, Youth Reporting, Women Transforming Media, Relationships, Ocean Conservation and more.

Students submit films for FREE - For code, email: media@myheroproject.org

Winning films are shared with MY HERO's global online learning community.

Click here for sponsorship opportunities

The MY HERO Project is happy to announce a new film festival award category, sponsored by Sing for Hope, a nonprofit organization that calls upon the power of music and the arts to uplift and inspire communities around the world. The new MHIFF Sing For Hope Music Video Award will recognize outstanding contributions of songwriters, who use their creative talents to shed light on inspiring heroes — everyday citizens, remarkable acts of kindness, or individuals and communities who have overcome adversity through creative endeavours.

A new deadline is set for the 'WOJ' Youth Reporter Award. This annual award, sponsored by educator Esther Wojcicki, is presented at the film festival to middle and high school students who share inspiring short films with a theme of heroism. The winning filmmakers will share up to $2,000 in cash prizes. The new deadline for entries is October 1, 2023.

MY HERO recently took part in an eight-week Media Arts program, led by Frank Guttler and USC graduate student Justine Beed, at Ascot Avenue Elementary School in South Central Los Angeles. Students learned the fundamentals of storytelling using MY HERO Media Arts Educational resources, with support from the Max Factor Family Foundation and the USC Good Neighbors Program.

"MY HERO opens the windows to a brighter future as it highlights resilience, relevance and relationships that tie all of us together."

- Dr. Gustavo Ortiz, Principal at Ascot Elementary School

Dr. Ortiz beautifully articulates MY HERO's mission — welcoming young people into the global community, instilling a sense of place in the world, and offering inspiration for staying strong in the face of modern challenges.

On April 29, 2023, MY HERO hosted a fundraising event at the Laguna Art Museum with live jazz, short films, art and inspiring honorees. Thanks to Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen for introducing Laguna locals Barbara and Greg MacGillivray, and to Mohamed Sidibay for introducing peacemaker hero Ron Kovic. Jeanne Meyers introduced one of her heroes, Kathy Eldon, for a special Art of Healing Award.

Kathy Eldon -

Author, filmmaker, founder of Creative Visions Foundation and sponsor of the Dan Eldon Activist Award

Ron Kovic

Bestselling author, artist, peace advocate and sponsor of the Kovic Peace Prize,

Barbara MacGillivray with

Greg MacGillivray

IMAX filmmakers and sponsors of the Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award

Special thanks to the artists who generously

donated their work to the MY HERO Art Auction.

View from La Vista

Gregg Abel

Austin Keen, World Champion Skimboarder Jerrilyn Jacobs

Solo Journey

Rita Stern Milch

Sweet Cinnabar

Jack Salvador

Portrait of Daniel Ellsberg

Robert Shetterly

Louis Armstrong

Saint George Thompson

Select works of art are available at The MY HERO Store.

Proceeds from The MY HERO Gala support our Media Arts programs, teacher training, model curricula and contests that reward and celebrate those creating positive media.



Learn more about The MY HERO 'Art of Healing' Gala

The Gala honored the legacy of our great friend and advisor Ken Koslow.

Thanks to the Lodging Establishments and the City of Laguna Beach for supporting MY HERO's Community Arts events at the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach and at the Laguna Art Museum. Students participated in creating mural art and enjoying live jazz music by the Stu Pearlman Jazz Ensemble.

Support MY HERO by sharing our impact on Great Nonprofits

Your endorsement by October will help us in 2023.



Congratulations to filmmaker Mónika Naranjo-Shepherd for her film The Art of Discovery, winner of the 2023 Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award.

The award, sponsored by Greg and Barbara MacGillivray's One World One Ocean campaign is part of the MY HERO International Film Festival. The winner is announced each year on June 8th - World Oceans Day. Thanks to MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation for their support.

Watch The Art of Discovery, and all the Finalist Films.

On Saturday, June 3rd, student winners of MY HERO's Robert Shetterly Portrait Contest gathered virtually for an Art Celebration and Awards Ceremony. Each student artist submitted a portrait of their personal hero, with a short paragraph about why that person is a hero to them. Heroes ranged from family members to a Nobel Laureate.

Helaina Roman and her grandmother Eva Haller

Lekha Singh, Jeanne Meyers, Eva Haller

Elias Roman and his grandmother Eva Haller

Photos by Renée Edelman

The New School for Social Research, in NYC, hosted a special screening and celebration for 93-year-old Eva Haller, a philanthropist, mentor and Holocaust survivor. Friends and family members enjoyed the MY HERO feature documentary Eva Haller: A Work in Progress, directed by Jeanne Meyers and edited by Kitty Richardson. Meyers has been documenting Haller's global impact on the lives of women and youth around the world.

The Eva Haller Salon Series takes place, virtually, every Saturday afternoon from September through June. Haller brings together leading scholars, artists, journalists and activists from around the world. Archives of the salons can be found on The MY HERO website. To join the salons, email Jeanne@myheroproject.org.

Submissions are being accepted for the Women Transforming Media Award, presented by Eva Haller at the MY HERO International Film Festival. The award includes a generous cash prize for the winning short films.

Check out the new MY HERO Blog - featuring content from the MY HERO website. 

Take a video tour of the store.

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.