Who is eligible?

DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF REQUESTS, WE ARE CURRENTLY BOOKING INTERVIEWS 5-6 MONTHS FROM NOW. If there is a medical urgency, please let us know when you submit the request and we will do our best to make alternate arrangements. Thank you for your patience! We are especially grateful for our supporters who are helping us increase capacity with donations - every superhero needs a sidekick, so click here to send a contribution today!

We recommend participation in The Superhero Project for youth ages 4-18 who are living with medical, emotional or physical challenges, although we've worked with families of slightly younger children and with young adults for whom the experience is meaningful. Currently, children ages 2 years old and older are eligible to participate. The families of youth who are non-verbal are welcome to answer interview questions on their behalf.

Families in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area may be visited by a volunteer sidekick for an in-person interview; all other interviews are conducted by phone or video using FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Zoom, Google or WhatsApp. Families from around the world are welcome to participate in The Superhero Project; translators for the interviews are available upon request.

How do I know what the superhero will look like?

You won’t! That’s part of the magic of The Superhero Project – we’ve worked with over 500 animators, comic book artists, children’s book illustrators and digital artists, each with their own unique style.  During the interview, your family will be asked to describe what you’d like the superhero to look like in great detail and then our artists take it from there. Every character design is one-of-a-kind. You’ll be amazed at how well they capture the spirit of your child’s superhero ideas.

What about confidentiality?

The Superhero Project respects your privacy and does not share personal information. We understand that our families, especially families currently inpatient in hospitals, deserve the utmost care and respect. Interviews are brief and professional, conducted with empathy, sensitivity and good humor. Artists receive only your child’s first name, their photo and the superhero description. Pictures of your children will never be shared without written consent. 

What about payment?

There is no charge for families to participate in The Superhero Project.
Our artists volunteer their time and talent; generous local printers sponsor the printing of the posters. While not required, we invite families to pay the fun forward with a gift - contributions are gratefully accepted. We will ask you to send us a photo of your child holding their poster that we can share with their artist. There is no better reward for our artists than a superhero-sized smile!