Dear Supporters and Friends,
We are excited to share with you the short video linked above, a testament to the importance of compassion in the work we do at SPIRIT SERIES. We are reminded in this holiday season that facing tough times, like these years of pandemic and loss, brings with it more than just hardship—it can also open our hearts. The word compassion comes from the Latin “to suffer with”, to awaken our empathy, reach beyond our isolation and disconnection, make identity with another and truly put ourselves in their shoes.
More than 60,000 students have now met the SPIRIT SERIES challenge and through them we can affirm that, when called forth, compassion is always just a heartbeat away. ”Story can still unite us” as our new Board Chair, prominent film producer Bill Fay, comments below. To find common ground with another, what better remedy for the disengagement, alienation and divisions that plague our communities. To that end, this fall we have added Compassion to Courage and Conscience—the SERIES values that schools can now choose to explore in our vibrant self-discovery and video storytelling curriculum for 7th through 10th grades: SpiritCorps.
Below, you will also find a brief introduction to our new digital initiative: SpiritSeries On Screen. Together with SpiritCorps and our classic SpiritSeries On Stage program, we will empower more than 4,000 students in grades four through ten to become caring, civic adults this school year—the most robust program delivery in SERIES history. We hope these efforts will inspire your continued generosity. And our sincere thanks, in advance, for your support.
Together we grow!
Leslie & Richard Strauss
Co-Directors, SPIRIT SERIES INC.
p.s. Join us as we tend to the spirit of our students in school communities across America and become a SpiritCorps Story Coach Volunteer.
