REGISTER AND GET THE CURRICULUM FOR THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR!
MAXCourage is an integrated ELA and SEL program developed in partnership with Boston Public Schools and used in BPS middle schools for over 32 years. The program is also used in public and private schools, after-school programs, and summer programs across the city, around Massachusetts, and beyond!
MAXCourage's model curriculum helps students use the power of personal narrative writing to process and reflect on how they and the people around them enact their values in the face of fear, adversity, or injustice. As the capstone experience of the program, students write a personal essay about a lived experience of courage, and at least one essay from each school is selected for publication in an annual anthology of student writing. In this way, MAXCourage provides a platform to amplify youth voices and an opportunity for young people to see themselves as published authors, developing their love of writing and literacy skills alongside key social-emotional skills such as self-awareness and identity formation, social awareness, and responsible decision-making.
Implementation in the Classroom
Though no two schools' implementation of the curriculum look the same, the following is an outline of the trajectory some longtime MAXCourage teachers take to help their students build toward the capstone essay writing experience.
Stage 1: Max's Story
Students begin the curriculum by reading about Max Warburg and watching an orientation video to prepare for participation in the program. The power of Max’s story lies not in his early death, but in how he dealt with adversity. His positive attitude and actions show students that they too are capable of acts of courage.
Stage 2: Reading, Pre-Writing, & Discussion
After learning about Max’s story, students begin building their conceptual understanding of courage through and preparing to write their personal narratives through integrated ELA and SEL classroom activities, many of which center around writing and verbal discussion.
MAXCourage recommends using rich grade-level texts as starting points for classroom discussions, as teachers help students understand that courage can take many different forms. One of the goals of the curriculum is to help young people understand that we all face challenges in life—both large and small—and that we all have the capacity to be “everyday heroes.” Through this program, children come to realize that their actions can be powerful agents of change.
Teachers can select any texts that fit their students’ needs and provide a framework to think about courage. Those who register will receive a copy of our new list of Texts for Teaching About Courage, which provides a broad array of recommended titles of fiction and nonfiction books, short stories, artwork, films, and other media that teachers might choose to use alongside the essay writing experience.
Stage 3: Writing the Courage Essay
As the capstone experience of the program, each student writes an essay on the topic of “Courage in My Life.” The process of writing and editing the essay brings all the pieces of the curriculum together—reading, writing, critical thinking, social-emotional reflection, and group discussions. Though the students’ stories vary widely, the common theme of courage unites them all.
After submission panel of judges comprised of local authors, professors, journalists, educators, and other members of the community reads each of the students’ essays and selects a representative sample to be published in our annual anthology of student writing, providing a platform to amplify students’ voices and stories.
Submission deadline: All entries must be submitted by January 31.
Teach the Curriculum
After registering, teachers will receive the curriculum guide, which includes activities aligned with Common Core State Standards and the CASEL framework for social-emotional learning. Teachers also have access to multimedia, including a 3-minute video about Max Warburg to show students as an introduction to the curriculum.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I implement the Courage Curriculum in my classroom?
We know that no one understands the unique needs and character of your classroom better than you do. For this reason, our program is designed to be flexible and easily adapted to best fit your classroom. Each participating teacher will receive the new MAXCourage Curriculum that is flexible for all classrooms while remaining aligned with the Common Core State Standards and CASEL framework. We hope you will feel empowered to use what works for you, knowing there is absolutely no requirement to use all materials.
How long does the essay have to be?
Around one page (550 words); we ask it does not exceed two pages.
Can the students write about someone else?
Yes, they may write about someone close to them.
How do the judges evaluate essays?
Judges look to see if the student has demonstrated an understanding of courage and has taken action to overcome an obstacle by using courage.
More essay questions? Click here for the Essay Guidelines!
Writers' Workshop Series
– A curriculum for out-of-school time (OST) programs
In 2022, MAXCourage developed the Writers' Workshop Series, its first curriculum for out-of-school time (OST) programs, in order to reach students in their communities and provide more young people access to the social-emotional and academic benefits of the capstone writing project.
The curriculum guide is structured in the writers' workshop pedagogical model, providing a series of skill-based, easy-to-follow narrative writing lessons with SEL elements that any after-school or summer program staff can follow and adapt to their program’s own unique needs—whether the provider has an extensive background in the teaching of writing, or none at all! The workshops treat past years' Courage essays as "mentor texts" for students, allowing students to identify masterful examples of writer's craft in work by their own peers, and emulate it in an evolving draft while working within a community of writers.
