Last month the Character Education Partnership recognized ten schools as winners of the 2009 National Schools of Character competition, and seventeen finalists. For a full list of winners, finalists, and honorable mentions, visit the CEP site.

We were thrilled to be able to interview three schools to find out more about their sustainability strategies for summer and beyond. Those schools are:

• Westwood Elementary School, Friendswood, TX – winner
The Westwood staff and community have created an extraordinary school large in its size and impact, yet small in its feel. The strength of its initiative is so great that past graduates have made a tremendous impact on how things are done. Students recently traveled to Washington to lobby Congress on behalf of service projects close to their hearts.

• Alta S. Leary Elementary School, Warminster, PA – winner
The “common goal of goodness” that envelops the school is the result of 15 years of conscious character-building. Students practice global citizenry: respect for all, ability to settle disagreements amicably, and helping those in need. Despite undergoing demographic changes, its academic achievement has continued to soar.

• Walnut Street Elementary School, Uniondale, NY – finalist
Walnut Street Elementary’s theme is respect and staff and students strive to live up to this daily. Character is an integral part of what they believe it takes to achieve excellence.

Continue reading "Character Education Partnership 2009 NSOC Award Winners and Finalists " »

Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast and CHARACTER COUNTS! supporter Shawn Johnson has won the latest “Dancing With the Stars” competition. “I’m going to put my gold medal around it because it was the Olympics that got me here,” she said moments after her victory.

View her crowning moment:

Carrie Ann Ortiz is the project director for the Lennox School District in Lennox, California, which serves approximately 7,800 students in grades preK-12, 370 teachers in eight schools (five elementary schools, one middle school, and one charter high school), and parents and students at two school-readiness centers. The project additionally provides outreach and training programs for 800 parents.

We asked her how she deals with naysayers, why she thinks custodians and bus drivers can be key components to a character-development program, and why the best way to assess a program’s effectiveness is sometimes just a camera.

Continue reading "Carrie Ann Ortiz Q & A" »

Leaders of CHARACTER COUNTS! in Elmhurst, Illinois have produced a video on the community's Pursuing Victory With Honor sportsmanship campaign. “We continue to see so much negative sportsmanship in the news and on the athletic fields,” said local PVWH committee member Pam Huck, “so we wanted to counter that with a positive teaching tool.” Organizers recruited a variety of community members to participate — from public and private schools, park district sports affiliates, the YMCA, local news media, and the mayor's office. 

The DVD is part of a packet, which includes resources from the Pursuing Victory With Honor website. The packets are distributed to athletic programs throughout the community. Click below to watch.

Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., is an international service-learning consultant, workshop presenter, program developer, and keynote speaker. She’s also the author of several books including The Complete Guide to Service-Learning, Strategies for Success with Literacy: A Learning Curriculum that Serves and the How to Take Action series for kids. For more information about Ms. Kaye, please visit her website or contact her at: cbkaye@aol.com.

To commemorate Earth Day and inspire teachers and students to "be useful where thou livest," we asked Ms. Kaye how schools can overcome barriers to service-learning, why failed projects can sometimes be a blessing, and why throwing a pizza party for a good project may not be a good idea.

Continue reading "Cathryn Berger Kaye Q&A" »

Want to Guarantee Your Grant Is Rejected?
Do Any One of These:

1. Don’t follow the instructions. C’mon, what funder really expects everyone to
follow its format to the letter?
All of them.

Continue reading "The Dirty Dozen -- What Not to Do When Applying for Grants" »

Jacques Benninga, Ph.D., is a professor of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at California State University, Fresno (CA), and director of the university’s Bonner Center for Character Education and Citizenship. He teaches classes in educational psychology and early education, and he researches and writes about issues related to the moral development and character education of children.

We asked Dr. Benninga whether kids’ behaviors are better or worse than before, how to overcome the challenges of implementing character education, and if adults and teachers are good role models.

CHARACTER COUNTS!: Josephson Institute’s recent survey of high school students revealed an increase in cheating, lying, and stealing, yet 93 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character. What do you make of that?
Jacques Benninga: One important aspect is that standards for youth behaviors are not made clear to them by adults. Teens see their role models engaging in frivolous, non-committed relationships, being arrested for careless or violent acts, and circumventing laws. This sends a message that it’s okay not to adhere to societal standards.

Continue reading "Jacques Benninga Q & A" »