Creating a Generation of Heroes

Project Hero is a free online platform that offers standards-oriented and authentic project-based learning experience for empowering and engaging students to take action for their local endangered species and ecosystems.

Each Quest students undertake is a unique learning and activation journey that focuses on locally-relevant environmental issues. We present multi-media content, lessons, and activities for exploring and understanding the threats to local species and ecosystems. Every quest culminates in a hands-on project to empower your students to make a meaningful impact in their environment.

When you register for a free account as an educator, you gain access to additional teaching resources, tips, and opportunities, including eligibility for grant funds to support your class's projects.

I’m interested! Where do I begin?

Get started with your Quest and to qualify for grant funds to support it, create your free Project Hero educator account here! You'll get updates on new Quests, access to great educator resources, notices of cool opportunities, and lots more.

NOTE: You must create an educator account to qualify for a grant!

Earn Funds for your Class Projects

Project Hero offers many different Quests focused on different regions, issues, and geared towards different grade bands. When you register your class for a Quest, you create a unique link or URL for YOUR Quest. Have your students use this URL the first time they access the site in order to qualify for grant dollars to support your students' Hero project.

Access Additional Educator Resources

Be sure to log in each time you visit a Quest to access additional educator resources within Quests and on your Dashboard.

Learn About Cool Opportunities and New Quests

Announcements about exciting opportunities and new Hero Quests will be available through your Project Hero Educator Dashboard, so keep checking in!

Future Awesomeness

The Educator Dashboard is still in its early days, but we're planning for interactive discussions with other educators, informative dashboards and progress trackers, assessment tools, etc. Stay tuned!

Quests

Quests are unique pathways developed in partnership with expert organizations
to explore and address environmental challenges in your own community.

Hackensack River Quest

Quest issued by: Turner Foundation, The Hackensack Riverkeeper, and Waterkeeper Alliance

Geography: Hackensack watershed

Target Grade Bands: 5th-8th

Ecosystem: Watersheds

GRANTS AVAILABLE

Quest for Longleaf Pine

Quest issued by: US Forest Service, Moore Charitable Foundation & Wade Research Foundation

Geography: Southeastern US

Target Grade Bands: 5th-8th

Ecosystem: Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

GRANTS AVAILABLE

Pollinator Quest

Quest issued by Captain Planet Foundation

Geography: US (50 states + Puerto Rico)

Target Grade Bands: 3rd-5th

Ecosystem: Pollinator Species

GRANTS AVAILABLE

Soil Quest

Quest issued by Kiss the Ground

Geography: US (50 states + Puerto Rico)

Target Grade Bands: 5th-8th

Ecosystem: Soil Ecosystems; Climate

GRANTS AVAILABLE

Quest for Coexisting with Wolves

Quest issued by: Turner Endangered Species Fund

Geography: Western US

Target Grade Bands: 8th-12th

Ecosystem: Wolf as Keystone Predator

MN Freshwater Quest

Quest issued by Wilderness Inquiry

Geography: Minnesota

Target Grade Bands: 5th-8th

Ecosystem: Freshwater systems of MN

GRANTS AVAILABLE

MN Freshwater Quest

Quest issued by Wilderness Inquiry

Location: Minnesota

Target Grade Bands: 5th-8th

Ecosystem: Freshwater systems of MN

Grants Available

Pollinator Quest

Quest issued by Captain Planet Foundation

Location: US (50 States + Puerto Rico)

Target Grade Bands: 3rd-5th

Ecosystem: Pollinator Species

Grants Available

Soil Quest

Quest issued by Kiss the Ground

Location: US (50 States + Puerto Rico)

Target Grade Bands: 5th-8th

Ecosystem: Soil Ecosystems; Climate

Grants Available

Rocky Mountain Wolf Quest

Quest issued by Captain Planet Foundation

Location: Colorado

Target Grade Bands: 8th-12th

Ecosystem: Rocky Mountain Ecosystems

Upcoming Quests

Quest for a Plastic Free Ocean

COMING 2022

Quest issued by: Ocean Heroes Bootcamp

Location: North America (US & Canada)

Target Grade Bands: 3rd-8th

Focus: Ocean Ecosystem & Creatures

Waterkeeper Quest Series

Waterkeeper

COMING 2022

Quest issued by: Waterkeeper Alliance

Geography: 5 US Watersheds

Target Grade Bands: High school

Ecosystem: Watersheds

Longleaf Pine Quest

COMING SUMMER 2021

Quest issued by: US Forest Service

Location: Longleaf Ecoregion

Target Grade Bands: 3rd-5th

Ecosystem: Fire-dependent longleaf pine system

Empowered Quest

COMING 2022

Quest issued by: Empowered - the Series

Geography: Global

Target Grade Bands: TBD

Focus: Renewable Energy

Lend Your Support

Are you an organization or individual looking to help young heroes across the United States? Join our cause! There are a variety of ways you can support Project Hero, whether it's partnering with us to create a Quest, funding grants for our heroes' projects, or lending your expertise to our Hero Society! If you are interested, click one of the buttons below to get started.

Lend Your Support

Are you an organization or individual looking to help young heroes across the United States? Join our cause! There are a variety of ways you can support Project Hero, whether it's partnering with us to create a Quest, funding grants for our heroes' projects, or lending your expertise to our Hero Society! If you are interested, click one of the buttons below to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can the Quest be facilitated in a large group or class?

Quests are designed to be completed as a class, but with work done by students in small groups. We'd recommend groups of 3-4 students working as a team. For Quests concerning species, the goal will be for the students to select one species at the beginning of the Explore section that they will focus on as they proceed. This selection can be done as a whole class (i.e. focusing on one species as a class), or in small groups (i.e. each group focuses on their own species). You can decide how you want to proceed, but you'll want to have students collaborate on designing and implementing only ONE class project at the end.

Do my students need accounts?

No! Project Hero was designed specifically not to require student accounts or logins. Just provide your students the unique URL you get when you create a Quest for your account, and the system will register that device with your Quest to earn your grant. However, your students can't write and enter data directly into the platform, so we encourage you to have students create a notebook or Hero Journal for their writing and assignments through the Quest.

How long does it take to complete a Quest?

Quests can be completed in as little as two weeks, or can be extended up to a year-long project. That decision is yours, but we have found that the more time the students have to engage with the idea of helping their chosen species or ecosystem, the more engaged they become in the process.

What devices should my students use?

Project Hero works best on a tablet or computer. Mobile view is available for smartphones, but devices with larger screens are most suitable.

Projects & Grants

Each Quest culminates in the students' design and implementation of a project that directly addresses a threat they have identified, and that makes a meaningful difference for their species or ecosystem. This process takes place in the SOLVE section, but should be emphasized as the goal throughout the Quest. Each SOLVE section has a Project Planner that students should complete and submit to be considered for a grant of up to $150 from the Captain Planet Foundation to support their project. This grant is available PER QUEST (another reason to create a unique instance of the Quest for each group). The grant review process is 2-4 weeks. There are also checkpoints along the way for you to report back to Hero Headquarters, and let us know your progress!

Feedback

We at Captain Planet Foundation value constructive feedback. Once you've created an account, we will be sending you a survey to collect more structured feedback about the Quest and your experience, but if you have any thoughts or recommendations as you take your students through the Quest, please feel free to email us directly at projecthero@captainplanetfdn.org

Join the conversation

Our Facebook Group for Project Hero is where educators can share their stories, discuss your challenges, and exchange ideas and resources. Join the conversation!

Our Partners

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