Join The Movement
Be the Change you wish to see in the world.
Now, more than ever, the life skills taught by the Choose Love Movement are essential.
Your generosity makes it possible to provide our next generation social and emotional learning (SEL) and Character Development online programming to schools, homes, and communities around the world.
With your support, we can reach even more kids & adults worldwide!
10 Years
10 years ago the unthinkable happened. My son Jesse was murdered at Sandy Hook. But he left a message that pointed the way to a solution. It led me to create the Choose Love Movement. More than three million people have engaged Choose Love since then to live happier, healthier, and safer lives. And we're just getting started!
- Scarlett Lewis
Choose Love is a movement changing the world to be a safer, more peaceful, and loving place.
Take The Choose Love Pledge
I PLEDGE TO CHOOSE LOVE EVERY DAY
I will find the courage to be grateful when life is not easy,
to forgive myself and others,
to cut the cord that attaches me to pain,
and to step outside of the busyness of my life to help others.
That is how I will Choose Love,
and embrace the empowering lesson that it is my choice.
I WILL CHOOSE LOVE INSTEAD OF HATE AND PROLONGED ANGER.
Right now and every day,
I will choose to replace an angry thought with a loving thought.
I understand that things are going to happen in life that I cannot control,
but I CAN control how I respond to those things, and that’s what matters.
I understand that my response is what shapes me and molds me into the person I become.
I pledge that although I can’t always choose what happens around me, I can always choose how to respond.
And I will be aware of my ability to choose my thoughtful response of love.
Because responding in love is the most powerful choice I can make.
YES, I PLEDGE TO CHOOSE LOVE!
Make an Impact and Start a Ripple Effect of Choosing Love
• Make a pledge to have the Courage to Choose Love instead of Hate and Anger!
• Like the Choose Love Movement on Social Media and follow us!
• Spread the message of Choosing Love on Social Media!
• Right this moment, replace an angry thought with a loving thought!
• Reach out to someone who could use a little love and compassion in their life!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can CHANGE THE WORLD, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."
MARGARET MEAD
How You Can Help
Donate Money
For every $1 of your contribution, you are providing Choose Love programming to 1 child for a whole year. With just $25, you can help an entire class learn & practice the Choose Love Formula; $100 you can help 100 students and $500, a whole school district!
Donate Time
Become a Choose Love Advocate or trained Ambassador and help spread the word! Work to get Choose Love into as many schools, homes, and communities as you can to make sure every person can benefit from the Choose Love Formula.
Shop Choose Love
Bring the Choose Love culture to life in your home, school, office, or business while supporting the Movement’s growth worldwide! We’ve got the perfect pieces for decorating your space, gifts for loved ones, school supplies, apparel and so much more…Check it out today!
Start A Facebook Fundraiser
Facebook fundraisers are easy ways to raise money and spread awareness for the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement!
Subscribe
Our monthly and daily newsletters are jam-packed with all kinds of important Choose Love information.
Spread The Word
View The Movement in Action
Share with us on Instagram
Message us on Facebook
Tweet at Scarlett
To make a donation by mail…
The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement
PO Box 605
Newtown, Connecticut 06470
If you mail in a check, you will be mailed a letter indicating your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
All donations are tax-deductible. Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit (id#: 46-1931751).
Ambassador Programs
Become an Ambassador!
There are multiple ways to engage as a Choose Love Ambassador. All of them bring you closer to the programs and the people inside the organization.
Choose Love Insider
Get access to our monthly educational webinars where you will learn more about how you and others can use the formula to elevate choice moments for yourself and others. Participation also gets you early access to new programs and initiatives. This is for those seeking to be part of a Choose Love Community motivated to uplift each other.
Choose Love Promoters
Get all the access of Insiders PLUS are committed to help promote the Movement in a variety of ways. This can be acting as a reference for those wanting to learn more about the program, actively promoting within your school/community or in others that may be near you. This is for those inspired to spread the Choose Love message and programs to others.
Choose Love Facilitators
Include all of the above PLUS are interested and have skills to support our paid programming and professional development. Facilitators help develop engagement with a base of users in all kinds of communities as a means of generating income for themselves and the Movement.
Meet Your Choose Love Ambassador
Have additional questions? Connect with a Certified Choose Love Ambassador near you.
Register For Program Access
In less than 1 minutes you will be connected to all of our programs as well as our Educator Guide, Implementation Best Practices, Supplemental Materials and more!
Training & Implementation
NEW! Whether your staff is in need of some SELF Care, Professional Development or full-service implementation and support for our programs, we’ve got you covered.
Corporations
There are many ways corporations can get involved with the Choose Love Movement. Whether your company is looking at Choose Love as a charity to support, as part of its corporate social responsibility, or as a transformative tool to engage, inspire, and connect your employees, we have many options for you.
Surveys show that programs involving children are valued the highest by employees among corporate nonprofit partnerships. Selecting Choose Love as a nonprofit partner signals that your company makes the wellbeing of children a priority and supports a program that impacts your employees and their families directly.
But more than that, Choose Love offers flexible, powerful programs based in neuroscience that can engage your employees in building their life skills—the ones that increase retention and productivity. Teaching your employees the Choose Love formula is investing in your workforce and your success.
Reach out to explore how you can bring Choose Love to your organization.
Choose Love Media Kit
About Scarlett Lewis
Scarlett Lewis founded the nonprofit Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement in honor of her son, Jesse, who was murdered during the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in December 2012. Shortly after his death, Scarlett decided to be part of the solution to the issues that we’re seeing in our society — that also caused the tragedy — and turned it into an opportunity to build a culture of love, resilience, forgiveness, and connection in our communities at a time when it is needed the most…
Read Full Bio
Scarlett became an advocate for social and emotional learning (SEL) and character development to help children manage their emotions, feel connected, and have healthy, meaningful relationships. She created the Choose Love For Schools program, a no cost, comprehensive, lifespan, next generation character and social emotional development (CSED) program that teaches children how to thoughtfully respond with love in any situation by using the Choose Love Formula (Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion-in-Action), and offer ways for children to handle adversity, have courageous conversations, and to respond with love. Choose Love extends beyond the classroom through additional no-cost programs, including programs for the home, communities, athletics, and the workplace. In addition, the movement offers Choose Love C.A.R.E.S. (Cultivating Authentic Relationships in the Education System) and Experiential Educator Wellness Workshops for school leaders and educators, and multiple extension programs. The Choose Love programs have been accessed in all 50 states and in more than 120 countries, reaching 3 million children.
Scarlett Lewis is the author of Nurturing Healing Love: A Mother’s Journey of Hope & Forgiveness, a memoir of her journey toward choosing love and forgiveness; From Sandy Hook to the World: How the Choose Love Movement Transforms Lives, an in-depth look at how Scarlett founded the Movement and its impact around the world today; and Rose’s Foal, a children’s book, with photographs by Scarlett Lewis, that tells the poignant story of a beloved horse and her newborn foal.
Since the tragedy, Scarlett has spoken across the U.S. and internationally to diverse audiences sharing her empowering story and the organization’s far-reaching programs, urging everyone to become part of the solution to the issues the world is facing. Scarlett has spoken at multiple national, statewide, and community-based events including hundreds of talks at schools, addressing educators and administrators.
In 2022, Scarlett was named to Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2022 Bloomberg 50, and was a featured speaker at the New York Times DealBook Summit 2022 alongside many of our world leaders, CEOs of businesses and emerging leaders. In 2021, Scarlett was named a Forbes 50 over 50 Impact Honoree, one of 50 women leading the way with impact and changing their communities and the world in ways big and small through social entrepreneurship, law, advocacy and education.
About Jesse Lewis
Jesse McCord Lewis was an amazing child, full of light and love that was unmistakable in his presence. He brought joy to the world with his infectious and radiant smile. He was smart and compassionate beyond his years.
Jesse died bravely on December 14th, 2012, trying to lead other children to safety during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He ran into the hallway to help when he heard the shots. He shouted out to his classmates to run and was able to save 9 lives before losing his own. He was six years old.
He left behind a message of “Nurturing Healing Love” on his family’s kitchen chalkboard. The message is phonetically spelled because Jesse was in first grade and just learning how to write. The profound message serves as comfort for his family and inspiration for the world to be better and love harder. He also left behind a sweet note to his older brother, reminding us all to “Have a lot of fun!”
Fun Facts About Jesse
Favorite Toys:
Rubber Ducks and Toy Soldiers
Favorite book:
Rose’s Foal, of course!
Favorite Things:
Painting with mom and protecting his family
Favorite dessert:
Ice cream cake with pistachio ice cream
Favorite Color:
Turquoise
Favorite Singer:
Justin Bieber
Favorite board game:
Memory game (Scarlett says he won every time and had to give her hints!)
About Choose Love Programs
Our signature program, Choose Love For Schools™, is a next-generation Character Social and Emotional Development (CSED) for Pre-K through 12th grades. The Choose Love Formula, and its use to elevate Choice Moments, is the central theme of the program with courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion-in-action woven throughout.
The program teaches educators and students how to Choose Love in any circumstance, and helps them become more connected, resilient, and empowered individuals. These skills, tools and attitudes have been proven through decades of scientific research to be the best way to ensure a healthy, meaningful and purpose-filled life.
Other programs include Choose Love For Home™, Choose Love For Communities™, and Choose Love For Athletes™ are based on the foundations of Choose Love for Schools™.
Choose Love has grown organically, one person at a time, and now reaches 3.5 million children and adults. Scarlett Lewis envisions reaching 5 million people by 2025. Help us get there by sharing Choose Love in your home, your schools, and your community.
Books
Scarlett’s Books
This thought-provoking hardcover children’s book is a collection of life lessons that guide young readers to live a life with courage, gratitude, forgiveness and compassion-in-action. Written by Scarlett Lewis and her mother, Maureen Lewis, this children’s book is intended for adults to read with children, reflect and discuss.
Scarlett’s emotional and inspiring memoir takes you through her journey of losing her son at Sandy Hook and how she found the courage through her son’s 3 words (nurturing healing love) to live a life of love, positivity, and fearlessness.
This all-encompassing book details how Scarlett’s journey as one voice asking people to replace an angry thought with a loving one and to thoughtfully respond with love in any situation became a global movement that continues to expand every year.
This children’s book, complete with Scarlett’s own photographs, tells the poignant story of a beloved horse and her newborn foal.
Books Featuring Scarlett
In The Media
Interviews
CBS News
CBS News
Law & Crime Trial Network
CBS Morning
CNN Newsroom with Fredrika Whitfield
Today Show
Today 3rd Hour
Articles
Speaking Engagements
Podcasts
Respect Talks with Elizabeth Rohm
Sunday Paper with Maria Shriver
Choose Love with Scarlett Lewis
See The Movement In Action – Connect With Us On Social Media:
Quotes from Scarlett
You can’t always choose what happens to you, but you can ALWAYS choose how you respond. You can respond in love!
Courage is being kind and gentle, doing the right thing when no one is looking, and thoughtfully responding to a reactive situation.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe, a want and need that connects every human being on the planet.
If we can teach our children that they have the power to choose a loving thought over an angry thought, we can create a more peaceful world.
I decided to be part of the solution to the issues that we’re seeing in our society—and that also caused the tragedy. I became an advocate for social and emotional learning that teaches children how to manage their emotions, feel connected, and have healthy relationships.
Testimonials
Scarlett, you define bravery and kindness…Your movement will save lives, and honor one very, very special one. Please visit the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to join Scarlett’s mission to help the world live love a little better, every day.
– Lady Gaga
I learned I can be strong. I can forgive. And I can help anyone that may need a little push to make their day. This has changed my life and many others.
– Justin R., CT Student
I’ve been a counselor for 40 years, and I’ve never presented anything more important to the kids than this. This is by far the best thing I’ve ever done for them.
– School Counselor, NH
– Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt
Through choosing love I learned how one good decision can lead to a bright path. One smile can save a life. That life can save another. Two grows to four, four to eight, eight to sixteen, and so on. I learned by choosing love that one person can create a chain reaction to make a positive impact on the world.
– Student at a high-risk school, CT
Choose Love Enrichment Program is not only for the students but it gives me the important tools to be a better teacher. I learned to use courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion-in-action in the classroom. It has given me the vocabulary to help my students through challenges.
– Educator, HI
– Perry Plummer, Former Assistant Commissioner, NH
I think the Choose Love program is indispensable for humans. It’s only been a year, but I feel a response. In particular, it looks like the teachers are happier. If the teachers aren’t happy, the happiness of the children cannot be raised.
– Junko, Choose Love Ambassador, Japan
This is the most comprehensive and age appropriate program I’ve encountered in my 23 years of teaching. Our kids are missing empathy and it’s beautiful to see them build this skill! Thank you!
– Educator, NC
The Choose Love Enrichment Program™ highlights important character values that we want all children to have and engaging approaches to develop them.
– Roger Weissberg, NoVo Foundation
Thank you for developing such an intentional curriculum that aligns with best practices for teaching all students, even our trauma students. I’m a first year elementary guidance counselor, I was in the classroom for 12 years and your curriculum has provided me with essential resources to start this school year off successfully. I recently attended a trauma informed learning training and so much of what I’ve been teaching with Choose Love was right in line with what they were recommending at the training.
– Britney S., KY Educator
