The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum

We had a wonderful afternoon visiting our 2026 National Essay Contest Winner, Abigail F., at Proctor Elementary School in Topsfield!

The essay judges were moved by Abigail’s honest reflections on facing her fears and seeking support. She writes, "Courage is standing there, holding your ground, fighting until the very end, confronting your fears [...] Instead of hiding the truth, speak up, and don’t be afraid."

Congratulations to Abigail and her teacher, Ms. DeOreo!

Soaking in all the joy and pride from yesterday's Children's Celebration luncheon! Students, families, teachers, and principals from all over New England joined us in Dorchester to celebrate 35 years of student stories. Congratulations to the 2026 published authors! 💙 🎉

Introducing The 2026 Cohort Of Published MAXFellows! 🎉📚✍

Please join us in congratulating 71 incredible students from around the globe whose essays will be featured in Volume 35 of The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond.

We are proud to uplift these young authors and bring their Courage Essays to print this Spring. To all of our participants, thank you for trusting MAXCourage to share your stories.💙

"When the world feels loud and life pulls you in every direction, Centered is your gentle guide back to yourself." - Tina Henderson, Centered. 🪷 📖

We're excited to share that MAXCourage Board Member, Tina Henderson, has generously donated copies of her new book Centered for every teacher attending this year's Children's Celebration Luncheon!

In Centered, Tina thoughtfully outlines seven powerful steps to help readers stay grounded, focused and resilient in the face of everyday challenges. We hope our teachers will truly enjoy this gift and find inspiration in its message.

Thank you, Tina, for your generosity and continued support of MAXCourage!

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of our annual video! This year, we visited a sixth-grade class at the Mather School to capture the impact of the MAXCourage curriculum in action. 🎬

Watch "Courage at the Mather School" at the link below, and discover how our curriculum is helping students build confidence, empathy and resilience in the classroom and in life.👇

🔗https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7wX0SbdcEc

🎥: Patrick Pan Media

This , MAXCourage is thrilled to share with you the cover of our special 35th anniversary cover artwork created by Sherwin Long, a 2000 MAXFellow from Boston Renaissance Charter Public School. 🎨📚

Sherwin's story began with an award-winning MAXCourage essay about saving his brother from drowning. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and has become a celebrated artist and illustrator. Sherwin donated this original piece to MAXCourage in honor of the organization's 35th anniversary.

Titled Psithurism, its background features photographs of students who have been published in The Courage of Children over the past 35 years.

Our Favorite Yearbook Superlative? "MAXFellow" 🙌📚

Shoutout to MAXCourage educator, Michael Andrews, for sharing this great yearbook photo of Barnstable Immediate's 2025-2026 MAXFellows!

Featured in this photo are copies of our 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2024 editions of the Courage of Children: Boston & Beyond.

📸Interested in having your class featured on our socials? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us today at [email protected].

As comes to a close, the MAXCourage team is excited to share some of our own favorite recommendations for middle-grade readers. 📖🌟

🥣Halley’s Pick: Chicken Soup for the Pr***en Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen, and Irene Dunlap
⚔Molly’s Pick: It’s All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango
🍋Farrah’s Pick: The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
🐉Fabian’s Pick: The Inheritance Cycle Series by Christopher Paolini:

Beyond our personal favorites, MAXCourage is proud to offer a full, complementary suggested text list available on our website and for educators participating in the curriculum.

Visit maxcourage.org to explore the list, learn more about our free, proven curriculum, or support our missions today!

Recognize any of these titles or have a recommendation of your own? We’d love to hear from you in the comments down below.👇