Press Release: The Unbroken Curriculum™ for Teachers

Penguin Random House Education, The Louis Zamperini Foundation and Resilient Educator launch “Unbroken: A Victory for Hope”, a ground-breaking national teacher development program and The Unbroken Curriculum™, to help build resilience, hope and courage as the nation prepares to go back to school.

Launching with a live Webinar, a free online toolkit and an innovative teacher professional learning platform, The Unbroken Curriculum™ helps students face challenging times through the development of empathy, resilience and social-emotional learning 

(July 27, 2020) -- Penguin Random House Education in partnership with The Louis Zamperini Foundation and Resilient Educator, announces the launch of “Unbroken: A Victory for Hope,” a curriculum and resilience initiative for teachers and their classrooms across the country.

In response to the overwhelming challenges faced by America’s teachers as they prepare for a back to school like no other, and the 55 million students managing heightened levels of stress, trauma and anxiety, this bold new initiative brings together the powerful story of the best-selling book “Unbroken”  with an immersive webinar, toolkit and an innovative online professional learning program designed to help teachers foster the resilience, hope and social emotional self-discovery children need as they face a series of existing and novel learning obstacles.

Based on the young adult adaptation of New York Times best-selling book “Unbroken”, The Unbroken Curriculum™ developed by Heather Fuller and The Louis Zamperini Foundation creates a unique and powerful way to open the hearts of students, connecting their own personal stories to the heroic journey of Louis Zamperini. Now this unique curriculum has been converted into a digital online experience that can reach every teacher in America through an online professional learning platform.

“The immersive study of stories that reflect students’ personal experiences, that focus on success and hope, is key to cultivating resilience in youth. The ‘Unbroken’ story and The Unbroken Curriculum™ provide a social-emotional learning tool that enables teachers to make authentic connections with students, meeting kids where they are emotionally,” says Michael Gentile, VP of Sales and Marketing for Penguin Random House Education.

This “Unbroken Resilience Initiative” will launch with a live webinar for teachers on July 29th featuring Heather Fuller, the teacher-entrepreneur responsible for developing The Unbroken Curriculum™. This webinar will provide the tools and guidance necessary for creating a critical classroom culture of oracy, linking it to the heroic story of Louis Zamperini and, most importantly, fostering an open space for social-emotional discovery and dialogue.  

Building upon the proven techniques in The Unbroken Curriculum™, teachers will learn how to conduct exercises that encourage students' to share and reflect on their individual stories of resilience through a challenging time. Teachers will also learn how to manage this instruction for online, physical and hybrid classrooms. In conjunction with the webinar, participants will receive a ready-to-use toolkit with downloadable exercises and passages from the book, and free access to an additional 3 hour online mastery teacher development program to help deliver these valuable techniques in the classroom.  

“We are bringing together the power of one of the most inspiring and hopeful stories of resilience and courage, a tested and tried curriculum to build resilience in kids and the power of innovative online learning technology to allow this to reach millions of teachers,” says Luke Zamperini, President of The Louis Zamperini Foundation. 

 “Through The Unbroken Curriculum™, students will gain implicit instruction in understanding and applying social-emotional competencies and skills; embedded opportunities to practice these competencies and skills during instruction; and participate in a learning environment that models hope, resilience, safety, belonging and purpose so students can fully embrace learning,” says Rob Wrubel, CEO of Resilient Educator.  

This curriculum will help connect social, emotional and academic dimensions of learning to drive student achievement. Following the July 29th webinar, the “Unbroken Resilience Initiative” program will provide continual updates, building a community of change agents looking to bring resilience and hope to every classroom in the country.

This summer and back to school program includes:

●      Live webinar for 60-minutes on July 29th by Heather Fuller, teaching oracy and the first chapters of the “Unbroken (Young Adult Adaptation)”

●      “Unbroken: A Victory for Hope” toolkit with Part 1 of the book for meaningful back to school engagement

●      Free 90 minutes online micro-course guiding teachers through the social emotional learning

●      Downloadable resources and tools to support

●      Links to further explore The Unbroken Curriculum™

If you would like to view the Webinar Please Click on this link:

If you would like the FREE Macro Lesson for The Unbroken Curriculum, Click on the Link Below

Teacher Appreciation Week

This year Teacher Appreciation Week is most definitely more appropriate than ever before. When the coronavirus outbreak shuttered school buildings, teachers were asked to quickly transition to remote instruction, while also trying to meet the social-emotional needs of their students during very unsettling times.

All of us at the Louis Zamperini Foundation would like to say THANK YOU for your unwavering dedication to our students! Thank you for your long hours and for the passion and commitment you show each and every day.

Bringing the Unbroken Curriculum into classroom through onLine learning. . .

(This image of students in Lift Raft exercise is Pre-Coronavirus)

As the pandemic continues, we are entering the second month of school closures throughout the country.  Our children are facing a radical interruption in their academic routines. 

The Louis Zamperini Foundation is working on solutions. We now have teachers across the country signed up and utilizing the Unbroken Curriculum. They are finding creative ways to bring the book and elements of the curriculum to their students.  Utilizing Zoom and other video conferencing technologies, teachers are reading Unbroken aloud to their students.   

While this time of social distancing does not allow the students to engage in “round table discussions” in their classroom, they are able to participate collectively through teacher led social media and discuss the major elements of Louis’ life. Key components in the Unbroken Curriculum include themes of hope, perseverance, survival, and courage.  Our students need these tools now more than ever! 

Students are also able to participate in a project called “Letters To Louis”. This is a poignant, reflective writing assignment showcasing students and their personal “stories.”  This activity can also be shared through Zoom in their “new” classroom setting!

While teachers will likely have to wait until the fall to employ the full range of project based learning elements such as “The Life Raft Activity” … these kids are currently able to engage in profound discussions on what it takes to overcome great adversity in life. They come away with renewed hope for their futures after taking this journey of courage and stamina with Louis.  

We hope you will join us by filling out our questionnaire and become a part of the Unbroken Curriculum onLine adventure!

Unbroken Curriculum Coming Soon. . .

In the California mountains on a June day in 1954, a mess of boys tumbled from a truck and stood blinking in the sunshine. They were quick-fisted, hard-faced boys, most of them veterans of juvenile hall. Louie stood with them, watching them feel earth without pavement, space without walls. He felt as if he were watching his own youth again.

So opened the great project of Louie’s life, Victory Boys Camp. Beginning with only an idea and very little money, he’d found a campsite, talked businesses into donating materials, and spent two years building the camp himself.

At Victory, lost boys found themselves. . . . . When he wasn’t with his campers, Louie was walking the world, telling his story everywhere from classrooms to stadiums.........
TODAY Louie’s story will be taught in classrooms across the country! Unbroken Curriculum is COMING SOON!

(Excerpt from Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand)

Surviving Against All Odds

The Louis Zamperini Foundation received this letter from a deservingly “proud” mama from American Samoa, whose 10 year old son Richard insisted upon telling Louis’ story of ‘Surviving Against All Odds’ for National History Day.  Even though his mom tried to dissuade him, he knew the power of Louis’ story was worth pushing for!   Louis would be so deeply impressed with this young mans tenacity! Thanks for sharing this with the LZF as we continue to shine a light on the powerful effects of Louis’ story on todays youth!

Hello and Talofa,

I wanted to share this with you all. My son, Richard Mamea (10) and his partner Renee Dunson (11) will be representing our island of American Samoa next week in the National History Day. They are among 10 other students both from senior and junior division. The title of their project is Louis Zamperini: Surviving against all odds. To be honest. I never saw the movie nor heard about Louis until our pastor was talking about him in one of his sermon. Little did I know, my son was listening and was inspired by his story.

When I approached my son a month later and asked if he had a history project ready, he said he was researching Zamperini. I discouraged him and said pick another topic, because I thought it wasn't a topic people knew. A month later, my son was not budging with his topic  and I asked him what was so special about him and was was his triumph in life. I was blown away when my 10 year old, told me all these things he overcame, but said his biggest triumph was giving his life to Jesus Christ.

I was ashamed of myself, and thankful my son stuck it out with his topic and didn't listen to me. He and his partner won first place on their category against 26 other entries. They also placed 3rd and will now be traveling to Maryland. Thank you Jesus! Thank you for all you do, and continuing what Louis Zamperini started with the youth. God bless.

Round Table Discussion

Luke and Lisa visited teacher Heather Fuller in Granbury Texas this past week. Luke displays the graph that diagrams the conversation of the students during their Round Table Discussion of UNBROKEN in this 9th Grade World Geography class.  This graph gives teachers the ability to identify participation as well as helping to identify and encourage those less likely to share! This is designed to leave NO ONE out of the conversation!

Lessons on Empathy

Before we read Unbroken I remember there being a lot of tension in our class. . . ”

“. . . this book, I really think did bring us together!”

UNBROKEN CURRICULUM

Why should you champion Unbroken Curriculum being taught in schools across America? Because these students are our future! Increasingly, our children are losing hope. This curriculum provides a platform for conversation among the students enhancing the importance of understanding, respect and civility. This powerful story serves as the ultimate ‘real-life’ model of compassion and forgiveness.

Developing Social-Emotional Learning.

The Unbroken Curriculum

"We Call It Authentic Learning" Dr. James M. Largent, Retired Superintendent of Schools

Education for the 21st Century

This curriculum provides a 'real-life' example of overcoming adversity and providing these young adults with hope. The immersive teaching methods are designed to bring every student into the conversation exploring and analyzing every life changing aspect of Louis Zamperini’s incredible life.

• Character-Building Content

* Immersive Methodology

• Collaborative Interaction

• Transformative Results

The Louis Zamperini Foundation Presents Unbroken Curriculum, a companion to the Young Adult Adaptation of the book, Unbroken.

This dynamic new learning experience teaches high school students to emulate the life skills of Olympian and World War ll Hero in building character, overcoming adversity and resolving interpersonal conflicts.

Its four-year public school pilot program demonstrated a significantly heightened level of student-to-student empathy and bonding that drew in even at-risk and “lone-wolf” students. The social and emotional development resulted in a measurable reduction in bullying and overall school violence, and a newfound cohesiveness among students of all ethnicities and socio-economic strata.

Education for the 21st Century

Bringing HOPE to our Students and Classrooms

A most UNIQUE education employing a hybrid of teaching methods that have yielded REMARKABLE results for over four years with immersive, project-based methods that truly leave NO child behind.

“I know I saw a difference in my classes. They’re more compassionate, they’re more understanding, they’re more willing to listen to each other." Heather Fuller, World Geography Teacher

The Unbroken Curriculum teaches Compassion • Understanding • Kindness. Bringing HOPE into the classroom. Imagine...If those small kindnesses toward one another could FIGHT the lack of HOPE we see in our society and our modern era. . .

Op-Ed As Published in The Christian Post

The 'Unbroken' Story Changes Today's Challenged Teens Into World-Changers

By Heather Fuller ~ September 2018

Hope, Faith, Dignity and Forgiveness.

Not topics teenagers are likely to discuss openly or care to elaborate upon . . . especially in front of their peers. But as an educator in my eighth year of teaching, I've been surprised by my teen students' willingness to share their vulnerabilities. And, oddly enough, it all started with a book and a 70-plus year old story.

Harkness discussion led by Heather Fuller involving her 9th grade class in this immersive style of learning.

It wasn't just any book. It was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The incredible tale of Olympian, Louis "Louie" Zamperini and his time during World War II, including 47 harrowing days in a life raft after surviving a plane crash, years as a Japanese POW and the struggles in his post-war life to deal with his brutal treatment. Despite the war being over, the war never truly left him, until a momentous night in 1949 when he attended Billy Graham's tent revival service in Los Angeles. His life so completely changed that he returned to Japan and personally forgave the captors who had brutalized him.

It was my mother who suggested this book, and from the moment I picked the book up, I was hooked. This was the type of story you want to tell people about so they can experience it for themselves. And we kept coming back to the notion of how teens needed to hear this story and discussed how to make this relevant today.

Teens are in such a precarious spot in the modern era. It has always been a challenge to endure the teen years, but the challenges that inundate students today are different and more widespread than the challenges I faced as a teenager. Feeling lost and hopeless seems to be their constant state of existence.

Add a dash of hormones; mix in the mad, unforgiving world of social media where comparison abounds; couple that with the realities of bullying and you have a recipe for disaster. No one can deny that teenage struggles, family dynamics and culture have changed in the United States. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but we need to be honest that this change has occurred. Ultimately, our classrooms must change as well to reflect the needs of young people today.

Within my school district, the economic disparities are evident and vast, but the social and family issues aren't quite as different as our students may think. Drug issues, divorced families, poverty, wealth, grandparents raising their grandchildren due to jailed parents, families torn apart for a myriad of other reasons— are just a few issues that plague students, not just in my district, but frankly, all over our nation.

Yet, we often don't discuss these openly, and we're missing an opportunity. It is an opportunity for dialogue, for learning, to further our education about an experience we've not experienced ourselves, an opportunity for self-improvement and reflection.

This concept was always evident to me, but how do you bring it to life in a classroom? How could I make 14 and 15 year olds realize this and care? Become engaged? Learn hope? Compassion? Forgiveness?

I made the decision to read Unbroken aloud to my students—300 pages to six separate classes.

That's a hard sell these days. Especially to teens who unabashedly declare they're not fans of reading or books, but would rather spend their free time streaming shows, scrolling through social media or playing video games.

I was absolutely blown away by their reaction. On the first day, there were audible groans of disappointment when the bell rang because we had to stop reading. They were hooked, just as I had been.

And what an impact it has had during the four-plus years I've been doing this. Some of my students had seen the first UNBROKEN film in 2014, but realized the book went further and covered his traumatic post-war life. This period of Louis' life, including the forgiveness of his tormentors in the POW camp, was often the most impactful to them. Recently, several of us pre-screened UNBROKEN, PATH TO REDEMPTION that will release nationwide this Friday and loved it. A man who overcome so many obstacles, deprivation and torture crumbles when the war ends, tormented by nightmares and PTSD. How does one overcome this cruelest chapter in his life? One word––Forgiveness. Thus began a life dedicated to the service of others, a legacy that the Louis Zamperini Foundation strives to continue.

Over the course of reading Louie Zamperini's amazing story, the more I asked students what their own personal beliefs are on hope, faith and dignity, how their own journeys echo that of Louie's, the more they have to say. Through Louie's story, the students find their own voices. They begin to cultivate a revolutionary environment: one in which teenagers listen to one another, build each other up and explore their own personal belief systems.

One activity that always cultivates more compassion and empathy during this curriculum unit is our Life Raft lesson. I tape out the standard size of a WWII military raft (2-feet by 6-feet) on our classroom floor, enough outlines for all students to sit three to a raft, just as Louie did.

They are obviously not in the middle of the ocean, but the confines of the space—paralleling Louie's confined existence for 47 days in the middle of the Pacific—actually creates a demarcation for hope. Countless times I hear, "If they can sit in a raft for 47 days, I can sit on the floor for three days," or "Sitting here makes me so grateful for what I have in my life." They talk more of their passions, of their hopes for the future, this arbitrary tape actually breaks through the limits placed upon them from either themselves or societal and environmental factors.

At the conclusion of the unit, students write a letter to Louie Zamperini. These letters often reveal the innermost challenges and thoughts of the students, and illustrate the power of forgiveness.

I was once asked, "What does reading this story mean to you and your students?" I surprised myself by crying, because it's more than reading, more than a curriculum unit in the classroom. It's a journey we endure together, and when we come out on the other side, we're no longer teacher and students, but comrades.

Comrades who allow our vulnerabilities to show, who raise each other up, who allow our encouragement and support to be unbroken. Comrades who encourage others to find their voice and use it with purpose.

I never tire of reading the now well-worn pages (since launching the unit, I've read a total of 7,200 pages aloud) because I know the power of those words. They renew my own faith in the next generation, because the passion of these young people to emphasize the importance of dignity, hope, compassion and faith (whatever path they may take) makes them world-changers.

Heather Fuller teaches ninth grade at Granbury High School in Granbury, Texas. Her immersive, character-building curriculum—developed with The Louis Zamperini Foundation—is being offered to schools across the country. Bring the Unbroken curriculum to your campus by visiting https://www.unbrokencurriculum.org/ for more information.