Juliana Valentine McCourt Children's Education Fund

How it Works

Program Samples

Mentoring USA Brave Juliana

Through reading, writing, storytelling exercises and discussions about the lives of heroes from various cultures, about communities and about problem-solving, we hope to enhance every child's sense of self-esteem, to strengthen the child's bond with his or her heritage, family, community, and mentor and to encourage the child's appreciation for other cultures. We know that if we succeed, the children in our program will also improve their school attendance and performance and their chances for a sound future.

Sample exercises from the Mentoring USA BRAVE Juliana program include:

Getting Out of Knots

Active Listening Worksheet

Listening to Opinions Different From Your Own

Stages to Solving Problems Worksheet

Everyday Acts of Kindness and Courage

Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do - Identifying Gender Stereotyped Attitudes

What is Community

Sharing Stories about Celebrations and Rituals

1,000 children have been mentored through this program in NYC alone during the 2000-2001 school year, and with your help we can mentor in up to 60 sites in 2002-2003.

Operation Respect CT: Don't Laugh at Me

The 'Don't Laugh at Me" program is a non- proprietary curriculum based on Resolving Conflict Creatively, a well-tested pedagogy developed by Educators for Social Responsibility.

Operation Respect CT sponsors the "Don't Laugh at Me" initiative, founded by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary. "Don't Laugh at Me" is a multi-media curriculum that concentrates on recognizing intolerance, increasing acceptance and enhancing sensitivity to students' emotional needs.

By using video and music, in addition to instructional activities during the two day program, students and adults are assisted in discussing feelings, growing compassionate individuals and developing healthy, caring communities within schools and organizations.

Success Stories

"I am so impressed with the "Don't Laugh at Me Program" and the change it has made at Carrington. Every student in the school knows the song and we have performed it at concerts and at promotion activities. I explain the program to parents every chance I get via our news letter, PTA meetings, Family Nights and at special events. Our students are more sensitive and respectful."
Principal, Waterbury, CT

"All seventeen of us stayed the entire two days not wanting to miss one minute of the information presented. We were all, each and everyone of us, "caught up" in what the main message was conveying - that we want "to diminish the amount of teasing, name calling, exclusion and other bullying behaviors to create safe school communities, and enhance the learning environment. We want to replace teasing with respect." We learned that one main key to improving the climate in our schools is to improve the level of respect that adults display to adults. From that level, students and adults need to display respect to students and vice versa and from this the students will hopefully show respect to one another. I am basically writing to inform you and others in roles of great influence, in our state, that this is an exciting program, a program that makes total sense to those who were trained, a program that seems easily implemented and one that uses common sense and love at its very core."
Principal, Goshen Center School, CT

"Your January 3rd (2001) presentation to staff successfully expressed the need for this type of movement in our educational system and inspired us to work toward this end. Many have since commented on the program's value. We have already begun to feel a difference in our school environment."
Character Education Committee Co-Chairs

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To help us fund non-conflict resolution, tolerance and cultural diversity education for children, please send your tax-deductible donation to:

The Juliana McCourt Children's Education Fund
P.O. Box 296
Waterford, CT 06385

Attn: David McCourt

Make your check payable to the Juliana McCourt Fund

info@julianamccourt.org