Sixth Graders, on Courage

Every year, hundreds of Boston 6th graders get a chance to think about what courage means to them. They're taking part in the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, which was created in 1991 in memory of an 11-year-old Brookline boy who died after a courageous battle against leukemia.

The Warburg curriculum is about strengthening character and building literacy skills. To cap it off, the sixth graders write an essay, called "Courage in My Life."

For one student this year, courage means having the guts to change. For another, it means being able to forgive. They're among the 2,000 children, mainly from Boston area schools, who submitted essays for a new book that's being launched in Boston today.

Of the 44 selected for publication, we've asked two students to read their essays: Rasheed Walters and Lucy Sargeant.

WBUR's Sarah Bush produced this feature.