Heroes of the Month

The HERO Program is an outgrowth of the Fish! Philosophy which was discovered in the Pike Place Fish market in Seattle, Washington. The authors of Fish!, Lundin, Paul, and Christensen (2000) describe it as a parable, an invented story about finding the deep source of energy, creativity, and passion that exists inside each of us by learning to love what we do, even if at the moment we may not be doing exactly what we love. The Fish! Philosophy becomes real by living four principles: Choose Your Attitude, Play, Make Their Day, and Be Present. The Phoenix Center staff has been living the principles since 2002. In 2005, we introduced them to our students as part of their Character Education program. Students are nominated monthly when they display one of the principles. The students have their pictures taken with staff, receive an award, and their parents/guardians are invited to a celebration. It is a wonderful morale booster for all!