BrightHeart Kids

09/24/2026

Today Let's enjoy a story about my friends Beacon and Scout, the KidSAFE mascots at RISEUP Phoenix Trauma and Crisis Institute.

# Beacon and the Starfish

Beacon loved the shoreline in the early morning. The waves left little shining paths across the sand, and there was always something new to notice.

That morning, she noticed a small orange shape beyond the reach of the water.

It was a starfish. His yellow spots were dusty, and two of his five arms were pressed into the dry sand. He tried to move, but the sand held him in place.

Beacon came closer and crouched beside him.

“Hello,” she said softly. “I’m Beacon. What’s your name?”

“Scout,” he whispered. His eyes followed a wave that stopped far away. “The water was here before. Then it went away.”

Beacon looked at the sea, then back at Scout. He was frightened, and the sun was growing warmer.

“Would you like me to carry you to the water?” she asked.

Scout nodded. “Please.”

Beacon opened one broad, soft wing. She waited while Scout lifted his arms free, then nestled him gently among her feathers. She walked to the edge of the sea and lowered him into the shallow water.

A little wave washed over his yellow spots.

Scout took a breath. “Oh,” he said. “That feels better.”

Beacon stayed close while he found his footing. Soon his arms moved easily again, and his worried face gave way to a smile.

“You saw me,” Scout said.

“I did.”

“You asked before you picked me up.”

“I wanted to know what you needed.”

Scout thought about that for a moment. “I was scared. I’m glad I told you.”

“I’m glad you did, too,” said Beacon.

Beacon was a phoenix with great wings and a home in the sky. Scout was a little starfish whose home was the sea. They were different in nearly every way. Beacon could carry Scout above the sand; Scout could spot small things Beacon might miss from up high.

When the tide brought Scout safely back to the shore, he reached one little arm toward her. Beacon lowered her shoulder, and Scout climbed aboard.

“Do you think we can be friends,” Scout asked, “even though we’re so different?”

Beacon smiled. “I think that’s one of the best parts.”

Scout settled against her warm feathers. Together, they set off along the shore, ready to notice, ask, and help.
©️ RISEUP Phoenix Trauma and Crisis Institute (2026)

Krista Fee James Fee

07/16/2026

🧭✨ MEET DR. KRISTA ✨🧭

Hi Bright Hearts!
My name is Dr. Krista.

I'm an educator, a community helper, a crisis responder, and one of Buddy's favorite people.

I spend my days helping children, families, and communities learn how to face challenges, solve problems, and take brave steps forward.
Do you know something important I've learned?

Everyone feels scared, worried, confused, frustrated, or uncertain sometimes.
Even grown-ups.
The goal isn't to be fearless.
The goal is to learn how to listen, think, and choose what we do next.

That's why I love helping children build:
💛 BrightHearts
🧠 ClearMinds
👣 Practiced Actions

Sometimes that means teaching a new skill.
Sometimes it means helping someone understand a big feeling.
Sometimes it means sitting beside someone who is having a hard day and reminding them they aren't alone.

One of my favorite things about Buddy is that he's always learning.
He's curious.
He's brave.
He's kind.
And just like all of us, he doesn't always get things right the first time.
That's okay. Because mistakes aren't the end of learning.
They're often where learning begins.

Together, Buddy, Jamie, Blaze, Misty, and I explore new adventures, learn important skills, and discover what it means to grow into capable, confident, and caring people.
Because every child deserves someone who believes in them.
And I believe in you.

💛 BrightHeart Reminder 💛
Big feelings.
Quiet feelings.
New challenges.
Big adventures.
When we learn to:
💛 Listen
🧠 Think
👣 Choose
we grow:
💛 BrightHearts
🧠 ClearMinds
👣 Practiced Actions

Because courage grows through connection.

💬 Bright Hearts, what is something new you've learned recently that made you feel proud of yourself?

07/09/2026

🛡️🚒 MEET JAMIE 🚒🛡️

Hi Bright Hearts!
My name is Jamie.
I'm a firefighter, a search and rescue leader, Buddy's person, and one of the grown-ups who helps keep our community safe.

When fires burn, storms roll in, people get lost, or families need help, you'll often find me working with my team to make sure everyone gets home safely.
But do you know what one of my most important jobs is?
Taking care of Buddy.

When Buddy first came home, everything was new and a little scary. New places. New people. New adventures.
Just like many of us, Buddy had to learn that being brave doesn't mean you're never scared.
Being brave means taking the next step anyway.
That's something we're learning together.

You see, Buddy is training to become a Community Care K-9. One day, he'll help children and families during difficult times. He'll visit communities after storms, fires, floods, and other emergencies. He'll help people feel safe, connected, and supported when life feels big.
My job is to help teach him.

Together, we practice important things like:
🛡️ Safety
🤝 Trust
💛 Connection
👣 Responsibility
🌲 Teamwork

Sometimes I'm teaching Buddy.
Sometimes Buddy teaches me.

And every day we learn a little more about courage, kindness, and helping others.
Real heroes aren't the people who never get scared.
Real heroes are the people who keep showing up, keep helping, and keep caring.

💛 BrightHeart Reminder 💛
When things feel big, we can:
💛 Listen
🧠 Think
👣 Choose
One brave step at a time.

💬 Bright Hearts, who is a grown-up in your life that helps you feel safe, supported, and cared for?

07/02/2026

🦥💜 MEET MISTY 💜🦥

Hi Bright Hearts!
My name is Misty, and I'm Buddy's Quiet Feelings friend.

You already met Blaze. When Blaze shows up, feelings can get BIG, FAST, and HOT.

When I show up, feelings can get SLOW, HEAVY, and QUIET.

Sometimes Buddy feels sad.
Sometimes he feels worried.
Sometimes he feels lonely, disappointed, embarrassed, or unsure.
Sometimes he wonders if he's good enough.
Sometimes he doesn't feel like trying.
Sometimes he just feels stuck.
That's usually when I appear.
A lot of people think quiet feelings aren't important because they don't make a lot of noise. But that's not true.

Quiet feelings have important things to tell us too.
Sometimes they tell us we're tired.
Sometimes they tell us we've been hurt.
Sometimes they tell us we need comfort, rest, connection, or help.

My job isn't to keep Buddy stuck.

My job is to help him slow down long enough to listen and think.
Because when we listen carefully to our feelings, we can learn what they're trying to teach us. And once we understand what's happening inside, we can choose our next brave step. When Buddy listens to me, he discovers some pretty amazing things:
💜 Patience
💜 Compassion
💜 Thoughtfulness
💜 Self-reflection
💜 Calm
💜 Wisdom

You see, Blaze helps us notice when something important is happening.
I help us understand what it might mean.
Together, we're learning that all feelings are welcome here.
Even the quiet ones.
Especially the quiet ones.

💛 BrightHeart Reminder 💛
Big feelings.
Quiet feelings.
All feelings are welcome here.

When we learn to listen, think, and choose, we grow:
💛 BrightHearts
🧠 ClearMinds
👣 Practiced Actions

Because courage grows through connection.

💬 Bright Hearts, what helps you when you're feeling sad, worried, lonely, or stuck?

06/25/2026

🔥🐉 MEET BLAZE 🐉🔥
Hi Bright Hearts!
My name is Blaze, and I'm Buddy's Big Feelings Dragon.
Now, before you get worried...
I'm not a bad dragon.
I'm not a scary dragon.
And I'm definitely not a dragon that needs to be chased away.

I'm one of Buddy's very best friends.
You see, whenever Buddy starts feeling something BIG inside, I start to grow.
Sometimes it's fear.
Sometimes it's frustration.
Sometimes it's worry.
Sometimes it's excitement.
Sometimes it's anger.
Sometimes it's that feeling you get when everything feels like TOO MUCH all at once.

The bigger Buddy's feelings get, the bigger I get too!
When I'm tiny, Buddy is feeling calm and ready to learn.
When I start getting bigger, that's my way of saying:
"Hey Buddy! Something important is happening in here!"
Sometimes I get so big that things start feeling HOT.
Thoughts race.
Tummies twist.
Paws get jumpy.
Good decisions become harder to make.

That's when Buddy and I know it's time to slow down and use our tools.
We might take a Buddy Breath.
We might ask a trusted grown-up for help.
We might use our BrightHeart, our ClearMind, and our practiced actions to find our way forward.

The funny thing is...
People often think big feelings are the problem.
But they're not.
Big feelings are important messengers.
Without me, Buddy wouldn't have courage.
Without me, he wouldn't have determination.
Without me, he wouldn't have grit, resilience, enthusiasm, or the energy to keep trying when things get hard.

My job isn't to take over.
My job is to help Buddy pay attention.
And Buddy's job is to help me calm down enough so we can work together.
That's what friends do.
Around here, all feelings are welcome.
Even the big ones.
Especially the big ones.
Because when we learn to listen to our feelings instead of fighting them, amazing things can happen.
I'm excited to go on adventures with all of you.

Your friend,
🔥 Blaze
The Big Feelings Dragon

P.S. Have you ever felt like your Blaze was getting bigger? What helps you calm your body when your feelings get really BIG?

06/18/2026

🐾💛 MEET K-9 BUDDY 💛🐾

Hi BrightHearts!
My name is Buddy, and I'm so excited to finally meet you!
I may be small, but I have a very big job.
You see, I am a Community Care K-9 in training, and one day I'll help bring comfort, courage, and calm to children and families when life feels big, scary, confusing, or new.

But before I was Buddy the Community Care K-9...
I was just a tiny puppy.
I was born at an amazing place called BRK Boarding and Rescue Kennels, where lots of wonderful people helped care for me and my brothers and sisters. My mom, Ashley, always laughs and says I look just like my dad, Groot. I think she's probably right!

One day, something very special happened.
I was chosen to join Firefighter Jamie and Dr. Krista on a very important mission.
Together, we help people when they are facing some of life's biggest challenges. Sometimes that means helping after fires, floods, storms, or other emergencies. Sometimes it means helping children who have been through hard days, scary experiences, or difficult situations caused by people who made unkind or unsafe choices.

Whenever possible, we help people find their way back to safety, hope, and connection. Every day I discover something new about myself, other people, and the world around me.
Sometimes I feel brave.
Sometimes I feel nervous.
Sometimes I get curious and accidentally find a little mischief.
Okay... maybe a lot of mischief.

Together, we learn that even when things feel big, scary, or new, a Bright Heart, a Clear Mind, and Practiced Action can help us take the next step forward.
I hope you'll come along with me as I learn how to be the very best helper, friend, and Community Care K-9 I can be.

We'll explore.
We'll grow.
We'll make mistakes.
We'll practice brave things.
And we'll discover that courage grows through connection.
I can't wait to share the adventure with you.

Your friend,
🐾 Buddy
Community Care K-9 in Training
BrightHeart Adventures™

💛 Bright Hearts, tell Buddy hello in the comments!

Brk Boarding ❤️🤍💙 eternally grateful ⭐️

05/28/2026

BrightHeart Kids™ was created from one very important belief:

Children deserve more than behavior correction.
They deserve understanding.

Somewhere along the way, we became very focused on managing behavior without always teaching children what is happening inside their minds, bodies, emotions, relationships, and nervous systems. We taught compliance before connection. Performance before emotional safety. Punishment before understanding.

BrightHeart Kids™ was built to help bridge those gaps.

The Adventures of K-9 Buddy® is part of a larger trauma-informed, neuroscience-informed, relationship-centered learning ecosystem designed to help children build emotional intelligence, resilience, confidence, safety awareness, communication skills, healthy relationships, problem-solving abilities, and self-understanding in ways that actually feel engaging, supportive, and fun.

Because children learn best through:
• Story
• Play
• Connection
• Curiosity
• Relationship
• Emotional safety
• Repetition
• Co-regulation
• Belonging

At the center of this world are Buddy, Blaze, and Misty — lovable characters that help children better understand themselves and others while learning life skills that support them far beyond childhood.

BrightHeart Kids™ is designed to support the entire ecosystem around the child through a three-part approach:

• Kids receive story-driven adventures and emotionally intelligent learning experiences they can connect to.
• Parents receive practical tools, language, and deeper insight into child development, emotional regulation, communication, and resilience.
• Teachers and helping professionals receive trauma-informed strategies and supportive educational tools that create safer, healthier, more connected learning environments.

This is more than a book series.

It is a movement toward raising emotionally healthy, resilient, capable humans with both strong hearts and practical life skills.

A place where children are taught:
how emotions work,
how relationships work,
how safety works,
how repair works,
how courage works,
and how to believe in themselves even during hard moments.

Because every child deserves the opportunity to feel seen, safe, su

05/21/2026

COMING SOON
BrightHeart Kids™
Adventures of K-9 Buddy™

A new trauma-informed children's learning universe designed to help kids grow brave hearts, strong minds, emotional awareness, confidence, resilience, safety skills, and healthy connections.

Built by educators, crisis responders, neuroscience-informed professionals, and real humans who understand that children learn best through safety, story, play, relationship, and belonging.

BrightHeart Kids™ bridges the gaps traditional systems often leave behind by combining:

• Social-emotional learning
• Child development science
• Safety and resilience skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Relationship and communication tools
• Nervous system awareness
• Behavioral understanding
• Confidence and independence building
• Trauma-informed education
• Family and classroom connection

At the center of this world is Adventures of K-9 Buddy™, where children learn alongside lovable characters who help them understand emotions, relationships, courage, safety, problem-solving, empathy, and the incredible power already inside them.

Our three-part approach supports the whole ecosystem around the child:

• Kids receive engaging story-based learning through relatable characters and adventure.
• Parents receive practical language, tools, and a deeper understanding of child development and emotional needs.
• Teachers and professionals receive trauma-informed strategies and support that create safer, healthier, more connected learning environments. IACET CEU Offerings that are engaging, real-world applicable, and that support personal and professional growth.

This is more than a book series.

It is a transformational ecosystem for raising emotionally intelligent, resilient, capable humans across a lifespan.

And we are just getting started.

Coming Soon

01/09/2026

Follow BrightHeart Kids for kids tools and resources!

BrightHeart Tool: Buddy Breathing

Hi Bright Hearts!
Today we’re practicing something brave and gentle called Buddy Breathing.

Buddy Breathing helps us feel seen, heard, and loved—especially when our bodies feel wiggly, worried, or tired.

🐾 Buddy Breathing (Try This Together)

Sit or lie down next to a grown-up you trust.

Place your head gently on their chest or shoulder.

Close your eyes if that feels okay.

Listen to their breathing.

Listen to their heartbeat.

Breathe slowly together—
in through your nose…
out through your mouth…
nice and easy.

Stay like this for a few slow breaths.

You don’t have to talk.
You don’t have to fix anything.
Just breathe—together.

💛 Why This Helps

When we breathe with someone safe, our bodies learn:
“I’m not alone.”
“I’m okay right now.”
“I belong.”

That’s how courage grows through connection.

⭐️Grown-Up Note

Buddy Breathing supports trust, regulation, and connection by helping a child’s nervous system sync with yours. This isn’t about correcting breathing or calming your child—it’s about being present.

If your child wiggles, laughs, or wants to stop early, that’s okay. Even a few seconds of shared breathing builds safety.

Relationship comes first.
Skills grow from there.

🛡️ BrightHeart Reminder

Our most important needs are to be seen, heard, and loved.
Buddy Breathing helps us practice all three—together.