SheHeroes

About SheHeroes

SheHeroes tells the stories of extraordinary women who are role models in diverse careers. We use new and traditional media as well as kids’ events to tell their stories.

SheHeroes wants kids to know that there are people like them who have worked hard and overcome challenges, so that kids today too can dream big and become tomorrow’s heroes. If you’re a parent, mentor or educator, we provide you with highly engaging and impactful tools so you can better connect with kids and have fruitful talks about career and life choices in order to broaden their vision of a positive future.

How to use SheHeroes?

We encourage you to watch the videos with your third, fourth, or fifth grader and use the discussion points to have conversations about the videos.

Why SheHeroes?

• We let kids learn about diverse people and career options that they might not otherwise be exposed to, while ensuring that they feel a kinship with the woman being interviewed as she discusses the obstacles and challenges she has faced.
• We recognize that a positive connection with a caring adult is one of the most important factors for preventing risky teen behavior such as drug use, drinking, teen pregnancy and dropping out of school.
  • “Research shows that teens are much more likely to delay drinking when they feel they have a close, supportive tie with a parent or guardian.” (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institute of Health, 2009)
  • “Despite what parents may think, they have an enormous influence on their children’s decisions about sex…. More than two decades of high quality research…point to the same conclusion: the quality of parents’ relationships with their teenagers can make a real difference in the decisions that their children make about sex.” (Albert, Bill – National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy)
• SheHeroes is for both girls and boys! When kids are shown images of women scientists, for example, and given a greater sense of possibility about the person they could become, the boys as well as girls get the message: “I can do this!” (National Science Foundation Press Release 07-108)
• We’re a counterpoint to mainstream media images providing both girls and boys with broader potential visions of themselves. Mainstream media still tends to typecast boys and girls:
  • Commercials aimed at kids spend 55% of their time showing boys building, fixing toys or fighting. They show girls, on the other hand, spending 77% of their time laughing, talking or observing others. (Media Awareness Network, 2010)
  • While boys in commercials are shown out of the house 85% of the time, more than half of the commercials featuring girls place them in the home.” (ibid.)

SheHeroes is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

http://www.sheheroes.org