NORWOOD — Sweethearts & Heroes, a student empowerment and empathy activation team that prevents bullying and suicide, will work with teachers in the Norwood-Norfolk Central School District on Thursday, Sept. 1 and Friday, Sept. 2, to learn to promote the HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist!) program among the student body this academic year.

The Sweethearts & Heroes team is Tom Murphy, director and co-founder, of St. Albans, Vt.; Ret. U.S. Army Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a HOPE expert from New York who was burned severely while serving in Iraq; and Pat Fish, an aspiring young leader who first saw Sweethearts & Heroes as a student in Glens Falls.

Sweethearts & Heroes offers a signature presentation that calls for HOPE, empathy and Jumping Into Action; Circle, which is built on the ancient ritual of communicating in a circle to build empathy; and BRAVES Buddies, which trains older students in bully drills that they, in turn, teach to students in lower grades, said a press release from the organization.

“We’re thrilled to be back in New York for the 2022-2023 school year, and we’re honored that our friends and colleagues in Norwood asked us to visit again,” said Murphy, whose team spent two days in the Norwood-Norfolk Central School District last February.

“The most recent national data tells us that student anxiety and hopelessness are still on the rise — a trend that was escalating before COVID hit — so our work in Norwood this week is crucial,” Murphy said.

While in Norwood this week, Murphy and Fish will train teachers in Circle. For more on Circle: https://youtu.be/C2-DEwtbBOw.

Murphy and Fish will be joined by Peru Central School District (NY) teachers Lucas Perez and Jen Guay, who ran the Sweethearts & Heroes BRAVES program in Peru during the entire 2021-2022 school year under a Phase 1 course called Leadership & Human Studies.

"Norwood-Norfolk is very excited to welcome back Sweethearts & Heroes to continue their programming with our students and staff,” said Dr. George Biffer, Norwood-Norfolk Central School District High School principal. “Their messaging of HOPE, Bully Buttons, overcoming adversity, and their Circle work has had positive impacts upon our students who enthusiastically wanted to continue talking with Tom, Rick, and Pat even after their presentations concluded last year. We are also looking forward to welcoming Lucas Perez and Jen Guay from Peru. Norwood-Norfolk hopes to continue implementing the Sweethearts & Heroes strategies and messages throughout our school year to assist our students with conflict resolution and overcoming adversity in order to help us grow as individuals and as a school community. We eagerly anticipate Sweethearts & Heroes’ visits during this school year!”