Young people who believe in themselves have no trouble believing they can make a difference in the world. This is the guiding principle behind the Rick Hansen School Program, which promotes social awareness and social responsibility through stories, lesson plans and activities inspired by Rick Hansen’s legendary Man In Motion World Tour.

As a father of three and a person who benefited greatly from positive role models and mentoring as a youngster, Rick has a special place in his heart for youth. He established the School Program to help youth acquire the skills and tools they will need to build a strong foundation for success in life.

Since its inception in 2000, the program has recognized over 30,000 students for making a difference in the lives of others through its Awards component. Students, teachers and parents report being deeply moved and motivated by this recognition. Schools In Motion activities and events are intended mainly to inspire students and raise awareness in their communities but they have also raised over $81,000 to improve the quality of life of people living with spinal cord injury since 2003.

Register with the Rick Hansen School Program to bring any, or all, of these program components to your school.

Rick Hansen Awards Program
The Awards Program is designed to inspire all students to make a difference in the lives of others and publicly recognize students who make a significant positive impact at school or in the community.

Rick Hansen Schools In Motion
Fun and inspiring, the Schools In Motion program promotes awareness of spinal cord injury, development of leadership and team-building skills and the discovery of the satisfaction that comes from helping others and effecting positive change.

Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Educational Resources (Grades K-12)
Build excitement for and celebrate the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary in your school with the help of these lesson plans and videos focusing on:  Difference Makers, Mapping and Accessiblity.

Rick Hansen Lesson Plans (Grades 4–8)
These eight teacher-developed lesson plans are applicable to a range of subject areas (math, science, social studies, physical education, language arts and personal planning) and they come with ancillary materials and teaching tips (also suitable for at-home instruction).

Life Skills Program (Grades K–12)
Developed in partnership with the BC Ministry of Education, these easy-to-teach lesson plans promote six essential life skills: Understanding Oneself, Accessing and Using Information, Solving Problems and Making Decisions, Living With and Initiating Change, Setting Goals, and Making and Enacting Plans.

Resource Books:
Five inspiring and educational books about Rick Hansen’s life and work.

Student Letters:
Rick Hansen and the Rick Hansen School Program have inspired thousands of students across the country. View some of their letters and artwork.

For a complete list of all Rick Hansen Participating Schools, click here.

Click here to read the latest Rick Hansen School Program Newsletter and learn more about the great work that young people are doing to make a difference. [English] [French]

Been inspired by Rick's story? Share it with us!

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Alberta for making this program possible.