Character.org Announces 80 Schools 4 Districts as 2015 State Schools of Character
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) February 20, 2015 -- Character.org (formerly the Character Education Partnership), a national character education advocate recognizes 80 schools and 4 districts from 18 states as 2015 State Schools and Districts of Character today. Since Character.org’s Schools of Character program’s inception, more than 500 schools have been designated as a a State School of Character, impacting more than 750,000 students. (Complete listing of the 2015 State Schools and Districts of Character found at bottom of this announcement.)
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. Schools and districts announced today will be forwarded on to the national evaluation process for consideration to be National Schools of Character.
"These schools and districts have created caring cultures where thousands of students and hundreds of educators are empowered to achieve their goals,” said Becky Sipos, Character.org’s President & CEO. “We applaud every school and district across the United States that participated in this program. This year’s designated schools and districts show that advancing character initiatives is a prime factor in developing students into confident and ethical leaders. They have created ideal conditions for students to grow in being both smart and good."
Criteria for the designation are based on Character.org’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, which includes providing students with opportunities for moral action, fostering shared leadership and engaging families and communities as partners in character-building efforts.
“We are thrilled to be designated as a 2015 Missouri School of Character,” said Aaron Wilken, Principal of Fox Middle School in Arnold, Missouri. “With this recognition, our staff and students are excited to see their hard work pay off while also setting an example for other schools in our state. We are hopeful that our example will encourage other schools to simply participate in the program as there is so much value in the evaluation process alone that Character.org leads.”
The 2015 National Schools of Character will be announced in mid May at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Character.org will also honor these schools and districts at the 22nd National Forum on Character Education, to be held Oct 16-17, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.
About Character.org: Founded in 1993, Character.org, is a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. It works with schools and districts to inspire, educate and empower young people to be ethical and engaged citizens. It is led by education leaders who are dedicated to teaching youth how to be both smart and good through the advancement of quality character development in all schools. The impact of this is seen through improved academic achievement, decline in behavioral problems such as truancy and school violence, and an increase in an overall positive school climate. Visit http://www.character.org to learn more about the National Forum and the Schools of Character program.
About Character Education: Character education is an educational movement that supports the social, emotional and ethical development of students. It is the proactive effort by schools, districts, communities and states to help students develop important core ethical (recognizing what’s right) and performance (doing what’s right) values such as caring, honesty, diligence, fairness, fortitude, responsibility, grit, creativity, critical thinking and respect for self and others.
2015 State Schools of Character:
Alabama
Cordova Elementary School
California
Valley Prep Academy Charter School
Florida
Imagine School at Evening Rose
Safety Harbor Middle
Georgia
Rocky Branch Elementary School
Illinois
Union Elementary School
Westhaven Elementary School
Iowa
Robert Blue Middle School
Kansas
Complete High School Maize
McEachron Elementary
Pittsburg High School
Maryland
Catoctin High School
Francis Scott Key High School
Francis Scott Key Middle School
Lexington Park Elementary School
Magnolia Elementary School
North Salisbury Elementary School
Oakwood Elementary School
Queen Anne's County High School
Shiloh Middle School
Thurmont Elementary School
Minnesota
Waseca Jr. & Sr. High School
Missouri
Bayless High School
Bayless Junior High School
Busch Middle School of Character
Cold Water Elementary School
Forder Elementary School
Fox Middle School
Grace Early Childhood Care and Education Center
Nottingham CAJT High School
Oakville High School
Rockwood Early Childhood
Selvidge Middle School
Windsor High School
New Jersey
Old Bridge Township Public Schools
Camden County Technical Schools - Gloucester Township Campus
Cedar Hill School
Juan Pablo Duarte - Jose Julian Marti
Liberty Corner School
M. Scott Carpenter Elementary School
Macopin Middle School
Old Bridge High School
Thomas Paine Elementary School
Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School
Virgil Grissom Elementary School
Walter M. Schirra Elementary School
Washington Elementary School- Roselle
William A. Miller Elementary School
New York
Byron-Bergen Central School District
Bridgeport Elementary School
La Cima Elementary Charter School
Lawrence Road Middle School
Mildred E. Strang Middle School
Northern Parkway School
St HOPE Leadership Academy
Valley Stream Memorial J.H.S.
William H. Barton Intermediate School
North Carolina
Brooks Global Elementary School
James Y Joyner Elementary School
The Early/Middle College at Bennett
Oklahoma
Pryor High School
Pennsylvania
Pennsbury School District
Afton Elementary School
Aston Elementary School
Coebourn Elementary School
Edgewood Elementary School
Fallsington Elementary School
Oxford Valley Elementary School
Quarry Hill Elementary School
Pennwood Middle School
Skyview Upper Elementary School
William Penn Middle School
Texas
Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Fort Settlement Middle School
Marshall Leadership Academy
HL Brockett Elementary School
T.E. Baxter Elementary
Northgate Crossing Elementary
Simon Middle School
Zwink Elementary School
Virginia
Hargrave Military Academy
Wisconsin
School District of South Milwaukee
Catholic Memorial High School
Columbus Elementary School
Josh Steinfeld, Character.org, http://www.character.org, +1 339-225-1581, [email protected]
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