Pat Fish and Josiah McKeon at Silver Creek schools in September.

SILVER CREEK — October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and local students are recognizing it as part of a yearlong partnership with an amazing squad of superheroes without capes, learning how to activate compassion, empathy and HOPE in their classrooms — and beyond.

Pat Fish and Josiah McKeon, of Sweethearts & Heroes, will be in the Silver Creek Central School District (CSD) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sweethearts & Heroes aims to prevent hopelessness, bullying and suicide by providing dynamic, inspiring content that centers on the human interaction skills necessary for schools and other organizations to change all aspects of their culture — skills such as empathy, compassion and teamwork.

Sweethearts & Heroes offers a profound, engaging signature presentation that calls for HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist), Empathy and Action; Circle, which is built on the ancient ritual of communicating in a circle to build compassion and empathy; and the BRAVE Youth Leadership Program, which trains older students in bully drills that they, in turn, teach to students in lower grades, thus creating a sustainable, student-directed initiative that can spill into local communities.

Sweethearts & Heroes’ central team of traveling presenters includes: Tom Murphy, Director and Founder, of St. Albans, VT; Ret. U.S. Army Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a HOPE expert, Purple Heart recipient and motivational speaker from New York who was burned severely while serving in Iraq; and Pat Fish, BRAVE Program Director & Circle Specialist, also of New York.

While in Silver Creek next week, Fish and McKeon will weave Circles with students and educators. Fish and McKeon also brought Circles to the Silver Creek CSD from Sept. 23 to 25. They will return in early November. Also during this school year, Fish will begin efforts on the BRAVE Youth Leadership Program in Silver Creek.

Sweethearts & Heroes also worked with Silver Creek students and educators during the 2023-2024 school year.

Fish said, “Circle is an opportunity for amazing stories to be shared and heard. Amazing isn’t good or bad. Some amazing stories I’ve heard are heartbreaking, others are heartwarming, and others are downright hilarious. But every single one of us has an amazing story, because we all have unique experiences. Circle allows everyone a chance to share those stories and, more

importantly, practice listening so that we can learn others’ amazing stories. Also, everyone practices various social-emotional skills in Circle. What sets us an apart? We make it fun! Everywhere we go, there’s a thirst for Circle from students of all ages, social groups and backgrounds. They want to connect further with people around them. Circle is a vehicle for that.”

Silver Creek educators were thrilled to have Fish and McKeon at school in September.

“We were treated to some folks from Sweethearts & Heroes, and everyone had a ‘sweet time.’ The overwhelming opinion of the experience was positive. Students along with select faculty members played games, laughed and shared stories based on a theme. All participants agree on one thing: We cannot wait to see our Sweethearts & heroes again.” – Jaime Karnes, High School Teacher

“I had a great experience during the Sweethearts & Heroes Professional Development. I was able to walk away with many different games and Circle techniques to use in my classroom. I would definitely recommend this course to any teacher!”– Meagan Postle, Elementary School Teacher

“In just three days with Pat and Josiah this school year, our partnership with Sweethearts & Heroes has already made a positive impact by sparking meaningful conversations around empathy and resilience. We’re excited to continue building a supportive community together.”– Shannon Matson, District Administrator

For more than 16 years, Sweethearts & Heroes has presented what Murphy calls “‘the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying” to more than 2.5 million students in school districts from New England to Hawaii and north into Canada. Sweethearts & Heroes also tailors its presentations and workshops for businesses, non-profits and civic groups. Murphy said, “We go where we’re needed. That’s what heroes do.”

In mid-September, about 140 students from seven Upstate New York schools attended Sweethearts & Heroes’ first three-day — and phone-free — Youth Leadership Summit with Spartan Race at Killington Resort in Vermont.

Sweethearts & Heroes’ first book, 13 Pillows For Affective Teachers, is a novel that covers the themes of HOPE, Empathy and Action in the Sweethearts & Heroes curriculum. 13 Pillows is also based on real students and teachers that Sweethearts & Heroes has encountered. Murphy cowrote the book with Brian McKeon, of New York.