Max Warburg Courage Curriculum

Max Warburg was a fairly typical 11-year-old boy. He grew up in Boston and loved playing sports, swimming, biking, skiing, and especially sailing. Some of his family’s happiest memories involved being out on the water for hours together. One day while out riding his bike, Max fell, and he ended up in the ER. As it turned out, his life would never be the same. As they treated Max for a split spleen, they discovered that he had leukemia. Surgeries, treatments, and many ups and downs followed. Through his terrible ordeal, Max never gave up hope and tried his best to keep a positive attitude in the face of an awful disease. Although he fought as hard as he could, Max died on March 5, 1991. One of his parent’s friends said at the time “Max amazed me. He was so brave. Children amaze me. I am amazed by the courage of children.”

 

Max’s determination, courage, and never-ending hope in the face of a terrible disease inspired all who knew him. To honor Max’s story and to encourage empathy and other youths to reach their maximum potential and not take anything for granted, Max’s parents, Stephanie and Jonathan Warburg, founded the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum. Stephanie and Jonathan worked with the Boston Public Schools to develop and create the curriculum, written especially for 6th graders. After learning about Max’s story and reading a novel that focuses on courage and empathy, for the culminating activity of the program, each student writes an essay on the topic of “Courage in My Life.” Though the students’ stories vary widely, the common theme of courage unites them all. The local students’ essays are entered into a contest, where a panel of judges reads each of the essays. The winning essays are published in an annual essay anthology. What started as something that happened only in the Boston Public Schools has spread, and now schools from all over the country and the world participate. This year, I am pleased to announce that our 6th grade students will participate in the contest in English with Ms. Johnson in connection with their reading of New Kid and Class Act by Jerry Craft.

 

At Brimmer, we believe the study of the Humanities, which literally means the study of what it means to be human, is an important avenue to teach empathy. Stories of courage often involve standing up for others or doing the right thing despite fear or pressure. This encourages students to think about ethics and the importance of helping others, nurturing empathy, and a strong sense of social justice. I very much look forward to reading our student’s essays on courage!