Hellenic American Academy adds Heroes Made to its classroom program

By AI, Created 12:05 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – Hellenic American Academy in Deerfield, Illinois, has launched Heroes Made for Grades 1-6 to expand student well-being and character education. The partnership brings educators a zero-prep platform built to support whole-child learning, classroom climate monitoring and values-based instruction.

Why it matters: - The partnership adds a structured character education and student well-being tool to Hellenic American Academy’s whole-child model. - Heroes Made is designed to help elementary students build empathy, resilience, confidence and a stronger sense of belonging. - The launch reflects a broader push by schools to connect academic learning with emotional and character development.

What happened: - Hellenic American Academy launched Heroes Made for Grades 1-6. - The Academy is based in Deerfield, Illinois, and serves students from preschool through 8th grade. - Heroes Made is an award-winning platform focused on character education, emotional well-being and academic reflection. - Executive Director Effie Gountanis said the platform aligns with the Academy’s Hellenic Orthodox values and principles.

The details: - Heroes Made offers standards-aligned, evidence-based lessons that can be personalized for each student. - The platform is built for zero-prep use and requires no teacher training. - Teachers get comprehension-based discussion prompts, metacognitive reflection questions, worksheets and classroom activities. - Built-in features let educators observe classroom climate and gather early insights on student well-being. - Heroes Made includes hundreds of lessons, each with four teaching pathways. - The platform includes a one-click Student Check-In, Student Insights observation reports and a Student Authoring feature. - Student Authoring lets teachers submit student-written stories for professional illustration and publication, with credit to the student, teacher and school. - Heroes Made can fit into ELA or literacy blocks, morning meetings, advisory or homeroom periods, intervention time and enrichment blocks. - The platform is designed around purposeful device use, while teachers lead the classroom learning. - Hellenic American Academy uses a dual-language, problem-based learning approach. - The Academy also offers Greek language programs, enrichment opportunities and cultural programs.

Between the lines: - The partnership pairs a school focused on cultural identity and rigorous academics with a platform built around social-emotional learning. - Both organizations are positioning character education as a core part of modern schooling, not an add-on. - Heroes Made’s classroom data and check-in tools could help teachers spot student needs earlier and respond more quickly. - Founder and CEO Maria Lavithi Howard said the Academy is setting an example of values-driven education.

What’s next: - The Academy will continue using Heroes Made as part of its regular classroom experience for younger grades. - Teachers are likely to use the platform’s lessons, check-ins and reports to support instruction and monitor student well-being. - The partnership may serve as a model for other schools that want to combine academic, emotional and character development.

The bottom line: - Hellenic American Academy is adding a turnkey character education platform to support students academically and emotionally, with a clear emphasis on whole-child learning.