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Announcing! Registration is now open for the 2015 National Forum on Character Education
Map your school's success at our 22nd annual Forum in Atlanta, GA, October 15-17. We will address challenges that you as educators face with high-impact solutions from hundreds of other like-minded educators to the latest research on what works in character education. Register now and you'll get $100 off! Learn More & Register >>
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President's Column
More Than Community Service: Creating Opportunities for Moral Action
By Becky Sipos
Do you think you made a good choice? Did you do the right thing? These questions are in the school announcements, in the school song. They're everywhere. Does that focus on doing the right thing make a difference? Read more >>
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Apply now for a 2015 Promising Practice
Do you have a specific, unique, and effective character education strategy or program to share with others? Apply for Promising Practices recognition. Eligibility: All schools, districts, and youth-serving organizations worldwide are eligible to apply. Deadline: This Friday, March 20th. Apply Today! >>
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State Schools of Character
Character.org Announces 2015 State Schools of Character
Character.org recognized 80 schools and 4 districts from 18 states as 2015 State Schools and Districts of Character. Since Character.org’s Schools of Character program’s inception, more than 500 schools have been designated as a State School of Character, impacting more than 750,000 students. Each year, Character.org and its state affiliates select schools and districts that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development that has a true positive impact on academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate. See the complete list.
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Promising Practice
Gators Earn, Learn, and Give Back
For over 17 years, the third grade gators at Green Pines Elementary, in Wildwood, MO, have been making a difference for some special people at the Family Haven Homeless Shelter in St. Louis County. Learn more >>
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Featured Lesson Plan
Healthy Parks, Healthy Community, Healthy You: Birds Unit Plan
The fourth grade teachers and students at Petway Elementary School, a 2014 National School of Character, decided to focus on New Jersey's birds. Inviting bird authorities from the community to present to students helped them become educated about their environment and how to care and protect animals in it. As a result, students became better equipped to respect and protect their parks, their communities, and themselves.
Download lesson plan >>
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Support our Schools of Character
Our program keeps growing. Your support keeps it going. Donate today >> |
News Briefs
Become a Partner for Global Youth Service Day
One way to get involved during Global Youth Service Day is to join in one of the many GYSD Partner Days of Service that take place in April. You can celebrate both GYSD and another event with a single project! Learn more >>
Graduation Rates
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the high school graduation rate in the United States hit an all time high of 81 percent for the Class of 2013. In several recent state of the state addresses, the nation’s governors have recognized the gains their respective states have made in increasing their high school graduation rates while also offering new ideas on how to raise the rates even higher. Learn more >>
Renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The House bill to reauthorize ESEA has stalled. The bill includes Title 1 funding portability, transferable block grants and removal of a current requirement for state spending on education. To learn more, see ASCD’s letter to House education committee chair John Kline (R-MN). ASCD has created a sample letter and encourages you to contact your congressman now. Send your letter now >>
The Center for Curriculum Redesign’s Character Declaration
The Center for Curriculum Redesign created a declaration at their conference in Geneva last October. It has a strong focus on character, calling it a critical right and necessity. See the Character Declaration >>
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Funding Opportunity
Funding Available for Education Initiatives
From the Coca-Cola Company and its global philanthropic arm, The Coca-Cola Foundation. Funding is provided for programs in one of four categories including education. Visit the company’s website >>
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Membership Corner
New Journal of Character Education Issue Out
The Journal of Character Education (JCE) will reflect the journal’s new format. All new Character.org members will receive a copy. That format includes a set of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles as well as practitioner-focused articles. In this issue, there are four scholarly peer-reviewed articles. Two focus on school-based evaluations: one on the evaluation of a middle-school strengths-based intervention and a second that explores character development in a post-secondary setting. Learn more >>
Are you a member of Character.org? If not, become a member today.
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Suggested Reading
From the New York Times
Why Our Children Don’t Think There Are Moral Facts
By Justin P. McBrayer
What would you say if you found out that our public schools were teaching children that it is not true that it’s wrong to kill people for fun or cheat on tests? Read article >>
From Edutopia
Guiding Students in Finding Their Truth
By Maurice Elias
What is your students' relationship with truth? It may seem like an odd question, but knowing your middle and high school students' relationship to the truth may tell you a lot about their character and their path to future success. Read article >>
From Tech Crunch
Study: Most People Won’t Stop Online Bullies
By John Biggs
The study watched 221 students as they interacted in a chat room. A bully would appear and berate other members of the group. According to the study, “only 10 percent of the students who noticed the abuse directly intervened . . . Read article >>
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 Did you know that when you shop on AmazonSmile (Amazon's charity site) and select The Character Education Partnership as your charity, 0.5% of your purchases will go to Character.org.
Try it today!
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