“If you’re a kid with powers, then where’s the place to be? You belong at “Hero Elementary!”
Four young students take the cartoon stage as superheroes-in-training on the kids’ TV series “Hero Elementary.” This animated show on PBS Kids is free for millions of children to watch across the globe. In each half-hour episode, uniformed student superheroes practice their superpowers and learn regular skills in day-saving scenarios at their special elementary school for super kids.
“Who’s the crew who knows what to do?!”
Known as the Sparks’ Crew (see details below), the four main characters use their superpowers to solve youth-level mysteries around Citytown — mysteries that serve as lessons taught by their teacher, Mr. Sparks. The group is challenged to use STEM skills, especially when they realize their superpowers can’t help them completely. In the segment titled “The Sweet Smell of Success,” for example, the crew learns about using their five senses to investigate a mystery.
This article will go into detail about the main characters of the Sparks’ Crew, as well as other supporting characters on the show. Parents can read all about what their children will be watching when tuning into “Hero Elementary.”
Who Are the Main Characters of “Hero Elementary?”
“Sparks’ Crew to the Rescue!”
The show stars a delightful group of four ethnically diverse cartoon students, each with their own unique superpowers.
Lucita Sky (Voiced by Veronica Hortiguela)
“Come on, team!”
Lucita Sky is the Hispanic-American firecracker and leader of the Sparks’ Crew. She has the superpower of flight, but because she hasn’t mastered the skill yet, she sometimes needs help when she gets stuck. But this occasional hiccup doesn’t stop Lucita from flexing her superpowers. Lucita has an empathetic personality and she always looks for ways she can help others.
Lucita is allergic to coconut. In the “Sara Loses Her Snap” segment, she accidentally eats a coconut bar and temporarily loses her superpowers. Another fun fact about Lucita Sky is that she is bilingual in English and Spanish, often switching between the two languages when she speaks.
Benny Bubbles (Voiced by Stacey DePass)
“Bubble up!”
Part of the Sparks’ Crew, this little Greek-American blondie is known for more than his freckles — he makes bubbles, and lots of them. Benjamin “Benny” Bubbles uses his “bubble up” superpower to create bubbles for various reasons. In the segment, “Hero Hit Parade,” Benny saves his friends and himself as they fall from a great height by shouting, “Bubble up!” The four heroes are suddenly enclosed in Benny’s bubbles, and they softly bounce on the ground, safe and sound.
Benny also uses his bubble powers to create bubbles on his feet and bounce around, jumping at tall heights. In the segment, “The Blob,” however, Benny discovers that his bubbles don’t work against clay. They do work on water though, allowing him to create rafts for floating.
Benny Bubbles is the loveable, goofy, animal lover of the group. He is closest to the class pet, Fur Blur, and is often driven to help animals in distress.
AJ Gadgets (Voiced by Jadiel Dowlin)
“Use super tools to save the day!”
Arnold Jasper “AJ” Gadgets is the Sparks’ Crew’s master of technology. AJ is an innovative African-American boy who is constantly pulling out a cool gadget to help solve the group’s latest challenge. And his superpower is “thought projecting!” AJ is able to shout this short phrase to automatically project an image of his thoughts in front of people to view.
AJ often uses a backpack jetpack or jet shoes to fly around during an investigation. He also keeps an extendable robot hand in his backpack to help him throughout his day.
Another interesting characteristic about AJ is that he has autism. In the segment, “AJ’s Extra Superpower,” he talks about his experience with having autism. Lucita encourages him to see this as an extra superpower, illustrating the show’s goal to foster empathy for all people.
Sara Snap (Voiced by Stephany Seki)
“Teleport in no time flat? Sara Snap can, just like that!”
Sara Snap rounds out the fully diverse Sparks’ Crew as a Japanese-American student in pigtails. She can teleport at the “snap” of her fingers, and though she may be a tiny little girl, she is mighty powerful.
Sara is the only member of the crew who has multiple superpowers. In addition to teleportation, Sara also has super strength. In the segment, “Super Lift,” she helps her classmates learn how to lift heavy objects, even without super strength. Sara’s other superpowers include being able to shout super loud and jump super high!
Mr. Sparks, the Teacher (Voiced by Carlos Díaz)
“Remember to use your Superpowers of Science!”
All four main super kids are in Mr. Sparks’s “Sparks’ Crew” class at Hero Elementary. Mr. Enrique Sparks is a bilingual science enthusiast who encourages his young hero students in English and Spanish to use both their powers and their brains (the Superpowers of Science) to solve problems. He is also the narrator of the show.
No one knows if Mr. Sparks has superpowers himself. While the students are learning to hone their superpowers, Mr. Sparks never displays any supernatural abilities, always focusing on science and real-life skills when teaching lessons.
Fur Blur, the Squeaky Hamster
“Squeak, squeak!” ?
Also known as “Sparks’ Crew Hamster,” Fur Blur is the furry class hamster who plays a major role in the students’ day-to-day activities. As explained during the episode, “First Day of School,” Fur Blur was adopted by the crew after the students succeeded in their first mission together — to save the Citytown Animal Shelter.
When she’s not perched on Mr. Sparks’s shoulder or one of the students, Fur Blur is constantly making herself part of the action. She can run super fast (hence the name Fur Blur) and although she can’t speak, only squeak, she can also communicate by sharing her thoughts through emoji clouds above her head.
Other Recurring Characters of “Hero Elementary”
The starring Sparks’ Crew of “Hero Elementary” enjoys a supporting cast of several recurring characters who make the show more fun!
Amazing Memory Kid of the Mighty Brights
(Stephany Seki)
Recognizable by his blue helmet and glasses, Amazing Memory Kid is a student at Hero Elementary who is part of the Mighty Brights class. His superpower is supposedly having an incredible memory, but he sometimes forgets important things.
Rubberband Robbie of the Mighty Brights
(Jonathan E. Gordon)
Rubberband Robbie is another Mighty Brights class member at Hero Elementary. His superpower is that he can stretch his arms, legs, and body super far. The limitation he experiences is that if he stretches too far, he snaps into a bouncing ball.
Turbo Tina of the Mighty Brights
(Ana Sani)
When she moves into Citytown, Turbo Tina becomes the final member of the Mighty Brights class at Hero Elementary. Her superpower is being able to run super fast, and she also sometimes talks so fast that others can’t understand her. Tina has an energetic personality, matching her speedy skills.
Freeze Louise of Team Tornado
(Denise Oliver)
Freeze Louise is a student at Hero Elementary who is in a different class, Team Tornado. She is easily recognizable by her bright blue hair. Her superpower is that she can freeze objects. Freeze Louise is often seen with Petie Heat, the other member of Team Tornado.
Petie Heat of Team Tornado
(Cory Doran)
Petie Heat may be best known for singing the theme song, “Team’s Song Theme Song.” But when he’s not singing, Petie is also learning as a student at Hero Elementary. Petie is the other member of Team Tornado. With red hair and heat-generation melting superpowers, he is the hot to Freeze Louise’s cold.
Athletica, Superheroine
(Kristin Fairlie)
Pronounced ath-leet-uh-cuh, Athletica is a famous superheroine who has the adoration of the Sparks’ Crew. She is an athletic hero with super strength, but in the segment, “Monumental Problem,” she gets help from the four young students when she runs into an obstacle that she can’t overcome on her own.
Captain Bounceback, Superheroine
(Alexa Hazael)
Captain Bounceback is a famous superheroine of Citytown whose superpower is the ability to bounce super high. She also uses her Bounce-a-ma-bob boomerang in her super activities. In the episode, “Going to Pieces,” Citytown builds a public statue of Captain Bounceback in her honor, and the Sparks’ Crew must save the day when a piece of the statue breaks off.
Dr. Inventorman, Superhero
(Martin Roach)
Most admired by AJ Gadgets, Dr. Martin Inventorman is a famous superhero known for his inventions, comic books, acting career, and of course, his super ability to fly. He is featured in a couple of segments, such as “Plant Problem,” in which his Turbo Grower invention causes an out-of-control plant growth.
Hail Caesar, Superhero
(Cory Doran)
Featured in the segment titled, “Hail Caesar,” this same-named famous superhero is able to shoot hail out of his hands. He gained this superpower after eating a radioactive snow cone. Hail Caesar teaches the Sparks’ Crew about hail and how severe weather works. In addition to his hail-shooting hands, he is also known for dressing like an ancient Roman ruler (Julius Caesar) and traveling with his Pegasus pet named Spotacus.
Where Can You Watch “Hero Elementary?”
Broadcasted on KPBS, “Hero Elementary” is available through your local TV provider. Check your local listings for times.
You can stream a few episodes of “Hero Elementary” for free online at PBS Kids/KPBS or on the PBS Kids app. “Hero Elementary” is also available with a subscription to Spectrum, DIRECTV, or YouTube TV.
Episodes can be rented and/or purchased through Amazon Prime Video, VUDU, and Apple TV.
What Themes Are Discussed in “Hero Elementary?”
As a PBS Kids show produced by the non-profit organization, Twin Cities Public Television of Minnesota, “Hero Elementary” is funded through a U.S. Department of Education grant. Episodes focus on scientific challenges that offer young viewers an educationally inspiring program. The characters of “Hero Elementary” will encourage your kids to reach for their highest potential and do good for their community. Common themes throughout the show include:
Curiosity
In every episode, Mr. Sparks leads the Sparks’ Crew to use their superpowers as well as the “Superpowers of Science” to experiment, learn, and have fun too! For example, the crew learns how to collect clues and evidence in “Chicken Hero,” while trying to find the lost chicken of a local superhero, Jetman Jones.
Empathy
In the segment, “Teacher of the Year,” for example, the Sparks’ Crew spends their day planning a surprise celebration for Mr. Sparks as Hero Elementary’s teacher of the year award winner. At the end of the segment, Mr. Sparks is presented with a heartfelt trophy, cake, and party.
STEM Subjects
“Hero Elementary” teaches science lessons of all kinds. Just some of the topics covered include:
- Animals: In the “What You Don’t See” segment, Mr. Sparks teaches the students to use camouflage to recapture a runaway horse. “Hatching a Plan” follows the team as they try to find the parents of a lost baby bird.
- Plants: In “Super Purple Pop-Up Plants,” the students learn that some plants distribute seeds with spiny burs on them.
- Matter: “Track That Pack” challenges the students to identify the properties of an unknown substance. And in “The Lake Mistake,” the classmates learn about the different states of matter.
- Climate: The segment titled “The Invisible Force” teaches students about the wind.
- Geography: “Track That Pack” teaches students about different bodies of water, such as rivers and lakes.
- Astronomy: “Heroes in Space” is a two-segment episode that explores the moon.
- Physics: Light is the main subject in “Shine a Light On Me.” While using flashlights to search for a lost super dog, the classmates learn how light behaves.
What Age Is “Hero Elementary” Appropriate for?
“We all belong at Hero Elementary!”
“Hero Elementary” is accessible to a wide age range, offering educational and entertainment value to youngsters from four to seven and beyond. The characters are old enough and the themes advanced enough that they can be enjoyed by older elementary schoolers, while the simple concept of kid superheroes is accessible for younger preschool-age viewers to easily follow along too.
How Many Episodes and Seasons of “Hero Elementary” Are There?
There is one season of “Hero Elementary” with 40 episodes. Each half-hour episode includes two separate 15-minute segments.
PBS Kids premiered season one of the show on June 1, 2020, and released the final episode, “Teacher of the Year”/”The Sweet Smell of Success,” on January 4, 2022. There is no information about any plans for additional episodes or seasons.
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