red helicopter is a way to live a life of success involving leadership, service, and caring. Its core values are kindness and math. It is an anthem for a new generation and community ready to lead change.

red helicopter is a media-education platform founded by James Rhee, a former high school teacher. After a storied career (TED Talk, Brené Brown), he composed a simple but powerful framework for true success in life and business that is being taught in cutting-edge curricula at MIT, Howard, and Duke. The book red helicopter―a parable for our times: lead change with kindness (plus a little math) (HarperOne; April 9) debuted as a National Bestseller, being #7 among all books and #1 in non-fiction. A PBS special is coming, as well as additional multi-media adaptations.

More about the origins of red helicopter

2023-24 “red helicopter” Short Category

Inspiring Hope and Change – Your Anthem

Create a short video no longer than 60 seconds of how the wisdom of simple generosity and childlike optimism, and the human connectedness it created, helped solve a seemingly unsolvable “adult” problem. This “a-ha moment” is what we call a “red helicopter moment” (the TED Talk does this in 15 minutes).

The story should be based on something that really happened to you or someone close to you, like a friend, parent, aunt, grandfather, or teacher. We encourage you to ask your teachers and family members about their ‘red helicopter’ moments - as long as you film the stories, these are eligible to submit too!

Suggested formats include: vlog-style videos, personal testimonials, intimate documentary-style interviews.

Example: “My red helicopter moment is…”

Winners will be selected based on their ability to show a clear change in perspective leading to the a-ha moment. Here is the arc we are looking for:

(a) sadness and confusion about a problem;

(b) hope (a-ha!) after an unexpected change in perspective, oftentimes from a friendly voice or helping hand from someone; and then,

(c) joy that emerges from a feeling of connectedness and a shared humanity. A win-win.

Winners will elicit a feeling of inspiration from their viewers.

To break down James Rhee’s TED Talk:

(a) Sadness/Obstacle: James noticed a boy coming to school every day without lunch.

(b) Hope: As an unprompted act of kindness, he approached him and began sharing his lunch every day with the boy.

(c) Joy/Lesson: The boy must have told his father who was sharing lunch with him at school, and the father recognized James's generosity with his son by giving him a toy red helicopter - which now serves for James as a symbol of kindness and goodwill to others. Years later, James recognized the same generosity and human connection in colleagues at Ashley Stewart who welcomed him into their stores, and he knew that the company and its relationship with the community was worth saving from liquidation.

Your submission must not contain any music.

For an example inspired by the students of George Jackson Academy, watch this video.

How to do it:

Start with a quick intro: “This is my red helicopter story…”
Dive into the story Where were you? What happened? Keep it fun and heartfelt.
Share the impact with gratitude: How did this intentional act of kindness or generosity leave a mark on your life? Is there a full circle moment?

There will be three (3) separate winners of $500 announced. Submissions received between November 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023; submissions received between January 1, 2024 and March 1, 2024; and submissions received between March 2, 2024 and April 29, 2024. The three winners will be invited on stage at the 2024 Teen Indie Awards in Brooklyn, NY.

Even if you are not declared “the winner,” your submission will be posted throughout the entry period and receive lots of attention in sync with the red helicopter book launch!

Congratulations to Thomas Luke Sutton, the first winner of the red helicopter short category!

Thank you, Thomas, for sharing your #redhelicopterstory with us.

Our red helicopter stories:

Tom Oliva - AAHSFF Co-Founder/Executive Director:

Sadness/Obstacle: When I was 17, I would often drive my Grandmother, who lived alone and didn't have a driver's license, to doctor's appointments, the grocery store, basically anywhere she needed to go. She would always ask me about what was going on in my life... my activities, my friends, etc. and I would spend the drive telling her about my experiences. One day I realized that I was always talking about myself and never considered learning more about her.
Hope: I decided to change our routine and asked her to tell me about her life - growing up in rural Pennsylvania, how she met my Grandfather, her hopes and dreams, everything!
Joy: By simply asking her to tell me about her life, I learned so much about her and we became so much closer. Her life experiences provided family history I never would have known and changed my perspective about my own experiences. I treasured those intimate conversations and carry them with me to this day. It also taught me the importance of putting the focus on others and investing in their unique stories and perspectives, enriching my life in often profound ways.

Chris Omar - AAHSFF Event Producer:

Sadness/Obstacle: My excitement at my first Yankees/Red Sox game in 2006 turned to disappointment when security wouldn't let me near the dugout to try and get my favorite player's autograph. I walked back to my seat in defeat, with nothing in hand.
Hope: Out of the blue, an older gentleman approached me. In his hands, he held a Yankees/Red Sox commemorative hat – for me -- a gesture of kindness that more than made up for the earlier setback. That hat became a cherished keepsake, a symbol of unexpected generosity after being let down.
Joy: Flash forward to 2023, at a Yankees game with my wife on what was "Harry Potter" cap day. I noticed a young boy a couple of rows up without a hat. Remembering the kindness I received, I gave my hat to the boy. It was a full-circle moment, hoping he'd cherish the hat as I did mine, and someday pass on a similar act of kindness when he is old enough to do so.

2023-24 “red helicopter” Long Category

Inspiring Hope and Change – Your Anthem

Create a short film three to six minutes in length on how the wisdom of simple generosity and childlike optimism, and the human connectedness it created, helped solve a seemingly unsolvable “adult” problem. This “a-ha moment” is what we call a “red helicopter moment” (the TED Talk does this in 15 minutes).

The story should be based on something that really happened to you or someone close to you, like a friend, parent, aunt, grandfather, or teacher. We encourage you to ask your teachers and family members about their ‘red helicopter’ moments - as long as you film the stories, these are eligible to submit too!

Winners will be selected based on their ability to show a clear change in perspective leading to the a-ha moment. Here is the arc we are looking for:

(a) sadness and confusion about a problem;

(b) hope (a-ha!) after an unexpected change in perspective, oftentimes from a friendly voice or helping hand from someone; and then,

(c) joy that emerges from a feeling of connectedness and a shared humanity. A win-win.

This is one particularly inspirational short film that captures this essence.

All music, images, titles, footage and other copyrighted material used in your submission MUST be properly licensed. You must have permission and/or the proper rights to all content submitted.

There are various resources that offer royalty free music and images. Please see our resources tab for more information. We strongly encourage you to use original music or music from our library.

There will be one winner of $1500 announced at the 2024 Teen Indie Awards in Brooklyn, NY.

FINAL DEADLINE: Monday, July 1st, 2024

Rules and Guidelines for both Short and Long Categories

All music, images, titles, footage and other copyrighted material used in your submission MUST be properly licensed.

Submissions must be original productions created for this contest.
Filmmakers may not engage in ANY unsafe activities while producing their submission