Characters of Courage: Karen Kalish, Simone Bernstein, Dr. Linda Henke

Three people with ties to the Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch area will be recognized this month as Characters of Courage by Metro Theater Company.

Each will be honored with a dedicated performance of the theater company's Battledrum, a Civil War play about three Union drummer boys that is showing at the Missouri History Museum.

The honorees saw "a need in our community and made a personal choice to take action," an announcement from the theater company states.

Read more about the local honorees below: 

Karen Kalish, a Clayton resident and founder of Cultural Leadership and Home Works!

Karen Kalish considers her recognition as a Character of Courage to be "such a huge honor." She will be recognized at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28.

"I get a chance to share my work with other people so that they can maybe think about doing similar work or doing work in the community," Kalish said.

She has founded numerous organizations focused on education reform and leveling the playing field for minorities:

• Home Works! The Teacher Home Visit Program trains teachers to visit their students' homes in an effort to involve parents in the education of their children. The is among the school systems that have adopted the program. (Kalish and Dr. Linda Henke, the district's superintendent, are close. "We're like two peas in a pod," Kalish said.)

• Books and Badges pairs St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department recruits and others with St. Louis Public Schools elementary students to improve literacy

• Cultural Leadership is a yearlong leadership program for high school students that provides instruction in becoming activists and advocates for ridding the U.S. of racism and other forms of discrimation

• Sigma Aldrich Reading Partners pairs company employees with elementary schools in St. Louis city

The Clayton resident counts herself lucky to get to do what she does.

"I'm a white, privileged woman, and I say I am a member of the lucky sperm club because my grandfather was rich," Kalish said. "I had nothing to do with it."

The teacher-turned-reporter-turned-serial social entrepreneur remains active in St. Louis.

"To whom much is given, much is required," Kalish said.

Simone Bernstein, a alumna and founder of the youth volunteer website stlouisvolunteen.com

Simone Bernstein has for her efforts to coordinate volunteer projects for youth in the St. Louis area, especially through her website, stlouisvolunteen.com. She will be recognized with a Battledrum performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

"I'm extremely excited about the award," Bernstein said. She said she is proud to be a St. Louisan and to give back through volunteering.

In the next few months, Bernstein will launch volunteennation.org, a website connecting youth throughout the U.S. to volunteer opportunities. She is partnering with kids in a variety of places and with organizations such as generationOn.

On Monday, stlouisvolunteen.com is sponsoring a at .

Bernstein, a student at St. Bonaventure University in New York, has received recognition as and as a . She and her brother, Jake, on Sept. 11.

Dr. Linda Henke, superintendent of the

Dr. Linda Henke leads the MRH School District and previously served as assistant superintendent for the . She will be recognized at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20.

During her tenure at MRH, she helped found Joe's Place, which supports a group of homeless boys in the district.

Henke is a leader who "goes into classrooms to work with teachers and inspire innovation," a biography from Metro Theater states. "She courageously believed that she could make a difference in a district that was challenged with low test scores and a high drop-out rate. Under Linda’s leadership, there have been remarkable changes."

Henke could not immediately be reached for comment.