Greetings Educators,

On behalf of the K-12 Social Studies Section in the Division of Standards, Curriculum and Instruction, I would like to welcome you back to school.  We hope you had a restful and enjoyable summer.  We know that you have been hard at work preparing for another productive and rewarding year.   The start of school is a great opportunity to reexamine where you are in terms of a comprehensive plan for character development.  Included in this update are tools that can assist you with this process.  We are so excited that you are just as committed to social emotional learning and citizenship as you are about academic success.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “Intelligence plus Character, that is the goal of true education.”    

We look forward to supporting you on your character development journey!  Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your professional learning network.  If there are ways that we can support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

All the best for a successful school year!

Fay Gore

Character, Leadership & Service  How is your school demonstrating Character, Leadership, and Service during the 2017-2018 school year?  Share your examples by sending photos, videos, articles, websites, etc. to Justyn.Knox@dpi.nc.gov with a brief explantation of an activity or project that exemplifies good character. Selected exemplars will be placed on the Character Matters website.  To receive the Character Education Update please sign up here. Character Matters is now on facebook.  To like and follow our page click here.

UPDATE INCLUDES: 

SHARE YOUR STORIES  

• 2017 State and National Schools of Character   

OPPORTUNITIES and AWARDS   

• Apply to Become a 2018 State and National School of Character
• Application Writing Workshop for Schools of Character 
• NC Service Learning Coalition Summit 
• National Forum on Character Education 
• Free Seminar and Japanese Cultural Fair 
• Global Education Symposium: Human Rights and Social Justice 

INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS & RESOURCES

• Ways To Celebrate Character in September
• NCDPI: Character Education Handbook 
• District and School Improvement Planning 
• Celebrate Constitution Day 
• Stay Connected: Character Matters is Now On Facebook 

2017 North Carolina State and National Schools of Character 

On September 7, 2017 the State Superintendent, Mark Johnson, the State Board of Education, and the K-12 Social Studies team celebrated 2017 State and National Schools of Character. 

2017 State Schools of Character 

2017 National Schools of Character

Apply To Become A 2018 State and National School of Character

As the Schools of Character Program moves into its 21st year, Character.org has updated the application process. While we are still in communication with Character.org in regards to the specific details, we wanted to communicate this with you now, as many of you are currently undertaking the journey to become recognized as a School of Character. 

Two of the most impactful changes in their process include: 

• New pathway options for receiving feedback and 
• The fee for applying to receive feedback and/or be considered for SSOC and NSOC recognition.

You can find Character.org’s memorandum regarding these changes here. Their website with more information on these changes can be found here. 

Please contact Justyn Knox at Justyn.Knox@dpi.nc.gov or 919-807-3835 if you have any questions or need support in the application process.  

Application Writing Workshop for Schools of Character    Is your school or district committed to character development? The Schools of Character Program is a school improvement process that offers the opportunity for self-assessment and expert feedback to schools and districts engaged in character education. Join NCDPI for a FREE workshop to learn how to apply to become a State and National School of Character for 2018 and gain support to assist your school or district in the application process. Participants will be able to collaborate and share examples of exemplary evidence.   Date: November 03, 2017 | Raleigh NC  Location: 301 N Wilmington St, Raleigh NC 27601 | Room 150 Time: 9am-3pm Registration Link   For More Information Contact:  Justyn.Knox@dpi.nc.gov 919-807-3835.

NC Service Learning Coalition Summit 

Call for Proposals for NC Service Learning Coalition 

The North Carolina Service-Learning Coalition (NCSLC) requests workshop proposals and showcase presentations for the 2017 NC Statewide Service-Learning Summit to be held Thursday, November 16, 2017 at UNC-Pembroke.  All Requests for Proposals must be received no later than Friday, September 22, 2017. 

All workshop presenters and showcase providers must Register For The Summit.

 Submit Your Proposals All presenters and showcases will be notified by October 10, 2017. 

National Forum on Character Education October 20-21, 2017  Integrity. Community. Respect. Empathy. The world is hurting right now, but we can and we will make it better. We can develop caring communities, ethical leaders and safe havens. And we can do that through character. Don’t miss this opportunity to interact with noted educators and researchers (like Harvard University’s Richard Weissbourd). Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Schools of Character and discover the latest products and services that support character education in our exhibit hall. Register Now!

Free Seminar and Japanese Cultural Fair 

Columbia University of New York and three UNC campuses (UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UNC-Wilmington) offer a free seminar for teachers. Upon completion of the seminar's requirements, teachers will receive teaching resources and be eligible to apply for a partially funded study tour to East Asia.

A dedication ceremony will follow the seminar on September 30, 2017 at the UNC-Wilmington campus for a sapling of a tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. UNC-W's Japan Club will also be hosting a public Asian cultural fair that includes a Japanese tea ceremony. 

For more information click here. If you have any questions, please ask at kanoy@uncw.edu.

WORLD VIEW   GLOBAL EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM Human Rights and Social Justice October 26-27, 2017      Location: The Friday Conference Center, Chapel Hill, NC Cost: $175 per person, $600 for a team of four CEU:1.5 CEUs will be awarded upon completion of program study guide   Join hundreds of educators from across the state for World View’s 2017 global education symposium focusing on Human Rights and Social Justice. Experts and practitioners will offer short plenary talks and sessions to increase awareness of human rights and social justice issues and to provide pedagogical strategies and resources for integrating critical global issues into teaching. This program is designed to meet the global education needs of all K-12 educators wishing to build capacity and competency in global education, including contact hours for those seeking the N.C. Global Educator Digital Badge. Visit worldview.unc.edu and register today!

Character Education Handbook    The Character Education Handbook offers a look at the Student Citizen Act of 2001 and can serve as a tool for your continued efforts in implementing character education into your school or district. The ideas presented in this book are an outline that you may draw upon to collaborate with your school, families and community.

2017-2018 District and School Improvement Planning 

As you plan your 2017-2018 school year the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education and 11 Principles Action Plan are excellent resources. Character Education provides effective solutions to ethical and academic issues that are of growing concern. Educators have successfully used character education to transform their schools, improve school culture, increase achievement for all learners, develop global citizens, restore civility, prevent anti-social and unhealthy behaviors, and improve job satisfaction and retention among teachers.

The 11 Principles of Effective Character Education form the cornerstone of Character.org’s philosophy on how best to develop and implement high-quality character education initiatives. As broad principles that define excellence in character education, the 11 Principles serve as guideposts that schools and  districts can use to plan and evaluate their programs.

September 13 is Character Day  Character Day is a free day and global initiative where school districts, individual classrooms, companies, organizations, and families -- groups of all sizes -- screen films on the science of character development from different perspectives, dive into free printed discussion materials catered to different ages, and join an online global Q&A conversation featuring prominent leaders discussing the importance of developing character strengths (resilience, grit, empathy, courage, kindness)--all rooted in evidence-based research. Character Day is one day. The resources are available year-round. Please watch the 1 minute trailer and sign up today!   WATCH THE FILMS: You may watch the acclaimed films “The Science of Character” (8mins) and “The Adaptable Mind”(11 min) to get a better sense of what types of films will be shown on Character Day.

Celebrate Constitution Day  Sunday September 17, 2017  How are you teaching students about citizenship and civic action on constitution day?    Explore resources from the National Archives for teaching constitution day      iCivics offers excellent lesson plans, primary source documents, games, simulations, and opportunities for students to take civic action on constitution day.  Click here for more information.

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