Adventures in Human Values

Organization Name:
The Human Values 4 Kids Foundation
City & State:
Describe your creative piece – what is it and what has it been used for, and why is it innovative?
Our creative piece is our Adventures in Human Values™ e-books and media, which are published on our website for free on our Children’s Books & Media Page. Our media centers on simple, yet powerful stories that promote human values in children. We are currently piloting our media as part of a newly developed character education program, entitled the Value of the Week Program, at Regnart Elementary School in Cupertino, California (a California public school). Over the past year, over 60 third and fourth grade students have benefited from our media. Improved behavior in the students and significant improvement in classroom management have been cited benefits. Our media is innovative because it presents timeless and universal human values in a modern and cutting-edge manner. However, the true innovation has occurred through teachers showing how the media can be used to integrate human values into standard academic curriculum to transform educational social settings.
What issue or problem were you working to address with this piece?
Children in the U.S. are facing challenges never before seen in the history of the country. They are being raised in non-traditional family structures that require more support and resources. Parents are working longer hours and have less time to spend with their children. Teachers do not have time to invest in their artistic, physical, or social, emotional, and moral development. At the same time, children are being exposed to media in the form of books, video games, cartoons, music, and movies that may deter them from learning meaningful values as national and global citizens. We are now beginning to see the adverse impacts on children’s academic performance, psychosocial behavior, and physiological health. In this light, an emphasis on human values in society can equip children with the skills to negotiate challenging situations, effectively interact with others, and become healthy individuals and good citizens.
How has your submission successfully impacted your organization’s ability to solve this issue/problem?
The Adventures in Human Values™ e-books and media have been developed to help counter the alarming trends occurring in the United States and the world at large through the promotion of universal human values. While the media alone cannot solve the world's problems, it serves as a powerful resource for parents and teachers to raise human values to the forefront of a child’s consciousness, and positively impact their interactions and decision-making from childhood through adulthood. We know for a fact that our children’s books and media have positively impacted many children in the United States and around the world.