World Humanitarian Day Multimedia Resources and Lesson Plan
The theme for 2025 is #ActForHumanity. This theme emphasizes the need to protect civilians and humanitarian workers from violence, address impunity for attacks on them, and promote peace. It also highlights the importance of global solidarity and empowering local communities.
MY HERO's 20th Anniversary Humanitarian Award Winning Film - 'Unite to Light - Keep the Lights On'.
MY HERO 2024 International Film Festival Best of Fest, Relationships First and Humanitarian Award Winning Film: Down the Road
What would you do if you saw a wildfire destroy 95% of a town? How would you help the survivors whose homes burned to the ground? For James ‘Woody’ Faircloth in Denver, the answer seemed simple: provide them with an RV. And upon witnessing the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, he and his six-year-old daughter Luna did just that. Without hesitation, they drove across the country to donate an RV to a family who lost everything to the inferno. But when they arrived, the two quickly realized they couldn't stop there. Watch the short film and/or read the story to learn about their efforts to help others.
Short Film: Woody and Luna generously help people in need after the Paradise fire. (10 min.)
Story about the film Down the Road and the journey of Woody and Luna Faircloth as they provide transitional homes to survivors of some of California’s deadliest fires.
2022 MY HERO International Film Festival Humanitarian Award Winning Film: Building a Shower Trailer for Chico's Houseless on a Budget... of Love!
The following short film and story documents humane solutions to our world's many challenges. Imagine not being able to take a shower for... a year...?!? Not being able to shower brings endless consequences for both the health and the morale but you'd think we probably could do something to address this dire public health crisis today. See what happened in Chico, California.
The following films, stories and artwork honor young heroes working to overcome the consequences of the climate emergency for the world's most vulnerable people and ensure that their voices are heard.
Slater Kemker Jewell is a young filmmaker and climate activist. She is the director of Youth Unstoppable, a documentary telling the untold stories of youth on the front lines of climate change refusing to let their futures slip away. (An Inconvenient Youth was retitled Youth Unstoppable.)
Slater Jewell-Kemker is an award-winning student reporter and filmmaker who works for a better environment and for peace.
Two girls go to Nepal to build a shelter that will collect fresh water and solar energy in hopes of solving community problems. (2:15 minutes run time)
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who is internationally known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.
Discussion Questions
1. Why is the work that Slater and Greta doing important?
2. Why is it important for young people to shine a light on the effects of climate change?
3. What can you do?
4. Who else is working towards improving the effects of climate change for the world's most vulnerable people and areas of the world? Share their story with MY HERO using the Create Program.
The following stories, art, and film are appropriate for Upper Elementary, Middle School and High School Students
Students read the story about Iqbal Masih, a child from Pakistan who was sold into slavery by his father when he was 4 and escaped slavery at the age of 10. He began speaking internationally and was awarded the Reebok Human Rights Youth Award when he was 12 years old.
Iqbal Masih was a brave advocate for child labor laws in Pakistan.
Iqbal Masih was a Pakistani Christian boy who became a symbol of abusive child labour in the developing world
Students watch the following film and read the story to learn about Vivienne Harr who, at the age of 8, founded Make a Stand Lemon-Aid to raise funds for organizations that fight child slavery.
Young Vivienne Harr was deeply affected by the story of children suffering from human trafficking. So she founded Make a Stand Lemon-aid to raise fund for organizations that fight child slavery.
Vivienne Harr founded Make a Stand Lemon-aid to raise fund for organizations that fight child slavery.
Discussion Questions:
1. Where does child slavery still exist today? What type of work are children forced to do?
2. What organizations are working to end child slavery in different parts of the world?
3. Identify people working to shine a light on the fact that child slavery still exists today and trying to put an end to this. Share their story with MY HERO using the Create Program.
Listen and Read Along: Stories with Text and Audio
Doctors Without Borders gives medical care to people in 70 countries worldwide.
Malala Yousafzai speaks out for the rights of girls to have an education. This story has both text and audio.
Students analyze the following portraits of Humanitarian Heroes. Note the use of shadow, color and text.
Students create their own artwork of a humanitarian hero and submit it to MY HERO.
Submit your artwork to MY HERO to be considered for our art contests or to be featured on our gallery homepage.
This nun devoted herself to service and gave aid the poor in Egypt and Turkey.
Mother Teresa is celebrated for her faith and her work with India's most vulnerable populations.
Desmond Tutu is celebrated as an advocate of love, respect and inclusion.
Bono of U2 has helped raise millions of dollars to benefit victims of humanitarian crises around the globe.
The following films and stories are appropriate for middle and high school students.
MY HERO recommends students watch the following films about humanitarians providing shelter and aid to those affected by war in South Sudan and Somalia or bringing medical assistance to those in need.
Please note: Defying Death in South Sudan includes some violence and may not be appropriate for all students.
Do you know anyone who does humanitarian work? Share his or her story with MY HERO.
Waves for Water's mission is to get access to clean water to those in need around the world, in areas such as Puerto Rico, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Nepal and more.
Featuring Humanitarian Hero Award-Winner Ken Payumo. This film may not be appropriate for younger viewers due to violence. (7:24 min)
This spectacular film follows the work of doctors who provide eye surgeries to the people of Nepal.
Watch the following film and read the story to learn about Dr. Hawa Abdi who opened her family's land to refugees during the civil war in Somalia, providing safety and healthcare.
Dr. Hawa Abdi is Somalia's first female gynecologist. When the central government collapsed in 1989, her one-room clinic on her family farm began housing people fleeing the fighting. (3:57)
Discussion Questions:
1. Clean water and access to food are important for all people. Identify places in the world that do not have easy access to clean drinking water. What are the obstacles they face? What organizations or people are trying to help?
2. Where are there places that war or natural disasters cause hunger issues around the world? What is being done to help?
3. Refugees face many dangerous challenges in countries like the Sudan and Somalia as demonstrated by the film Defying Death in South Sudan and the work of Hawa Abdi. What challenges do refugees face today and where are they located? Who is assisting in this crisis.
4. Identify humanitarians who are making a positive difference today. Share their story with MY HERO using the Create Program.
Learning Outcomes
Students will identify humanitarian heroes in their community. Students will create an action plan for solving an issue in their community. Students are encouraged to create an original piece of art honoring their own humanitarian hero.
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The World Humanitarian Day lesson plan was created by MY HERO Education Outreach Director Laura Nietzer. |
MY HERO's multimedia showcase honoring humanitarian workers.
Learn about a New Hero Every Day of the Year: Use the MY HERO Calendar in the Classroom
Learn about a New Hero Every Day of the Year: Use the MY HERO Calendar in the Classroom
MY HERO's Teachers Calendar Features Lesson Plans and Multimedia Resources
Students can share their Hero Essays, Films and Art through our Create Program
How to use MY HERO's Create Program to Publish Stories, Art, Film and Audio for Students
Tutorial for students: Publish written stories, film, original artwork and audio in MY HERO's multimedia library.
Outstanding essays submitted to MY HERO will be considered for a certificate/t-shirt prize or be featured on the Story Homepage.
Submit your artwork to be entered in the MY HERO art contest or to be exhibited on our Gallery Homepage.
Students can submit their films for free with a waiver to the MY HERO International Film Festival.
Organizer created on 7/8/2019 7:10:03 AM by Laura Nietzer
Last edited 7/21/2025 1:51:23 PM by Abigail Richardson
