Middle school kid with long hair looking at the camera

Pre-teen with long hair, smiling at the camera

Middle school child with short hair smiling about courage

For 35 years, MAXCourage has supported students and teachers in Boston and beyond with our free English Language Arts and Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum.

Stories of courage have a special power to engage and inspire young people. The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum gives educators tools to help students discover their capacity for courage and find a voice to share their personal stories of courage with the world.

GET THE CURRICULUM

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200000

children wrote essays in 30 years

6500

children and 100 teachers worldwide participate each year

dollars is the cost per student

Join Us for Essay Judging Day 2026!

Thursday, February 12th, 2026
Northeastern Alumni Center

Morning Session 9:00–12:00
Afternoon Session 12:30–3:30

Our 2025 Annual Report Is Here!

Read It

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Courage in Malden

This fall, we visited Salemwood School in Malden, MA, to see how MAXCourage is making an impact in the classroom. With Malden being the most racially diverse district in the state, we’re proud to share how our curriculum is helping students from all backgrounds connect, grow, and build resilience. A huge thank you to Salemwood School for welcoming us— we’re so proud of these incredible students, their powerful stories, and their hardworking teachers!

Check it out

"I learned I can help others when they struggle and I can teach people how to overcome a hardship."

"I learned that I can be who I want to be. I know who I am, and for now, thats enough."

"I learned I can do anything I put my mind to."

"I have grown a lot from writing that essay. Writing it and winning made me realize that I’m not alone in this."

"I just want to say that I’m blown away with this program. I’ve been so honored to be a part of it. What a beautiful way to honor the memory of Max by making other kids his age feel special about their courage."

"This is an amazing program, and I'm happy to have my students participate in it."

"It is a wonderful curriculum and great exposure for student awareness."

"It was an awesome program that brought a lot of awareness to many different topics and helped students talk about things that are important in their lives."

"This has been a beautiful experience. Thank you so much!"

"This is an absolute amazing program for children who have the strength to put their feelings down on paper and express them!"

"I learned I can help others when they struggle and I can teach people how to overcome a hardship." "I learned that I can be who I want to be. I know who I am, and for now, thats enough." "I learned I can do anything I put my mind to." "I have grown a lot from writing that essay. Writing it and winning made me realize that I’m not alone in this." "I just want to say that I’m blown away with this program. I’ve been so honored to be a part of it. What a beautiful way to honor the memory of Max by making other kids his age feel special about their courage." "This is an amazing program, and I'm happy to have my students participate in it." "It is a wonderful curriculum and great exposure for student awareness." "It was an awesome program that brought a lot of awareness to many different topics and helped students talk about things that are important in their lives." "This has been a beautiful experience. Thank you so much!" "This is an absolute amazing program for children who have the strength to put their feelings down on paper and express them!"