 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 explanation 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.
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UPDATE INCLUDES:
SHARE YOUR STORIES
- Guilford County Raises $33,000 for Hurricane Victims in Texas
- Gift of Giving at Northern Elementary
OPPORTUNITIES and AWARDS
- 2018 Promising Practice Applications
- NYLC Service Learning Conference
- Contest For Students
- Grant Opportunities
INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS & RESOURCES
- Start 2018 With Service
- Webinar: Ignite Your School Year With Kindness
- 100 Ways to Help Kids Practice Kindness
- Upcoming Service and Awareness Dates
- Stay Connected with Character Matters
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Guilford County Raises $33,000 For Hurricane Victims In Texas
Watch as Guilford County Schools releases the results of the “Change for Children” campaign during a skype call with Mitchell Elementary in Houston, Texas.
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Gift of Giving at Northern Elementary
Watch how more than 600 students at Northern Elementary School are creating kindness rocks with help from a Gift of Giving grant from Four Seasons Town Centre.
Share with us how your school is spreading kindness?
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2018 Promising Practice Awards
Deadline is February 16, 2018
Do you have a specific, unique, and effective character education strategy or program to share with others? Most practices are simple in scope and don’t have extensive costs associated with them. They enable students to experience positive character firsthand, as well as enrich their lives and the lives of others. Each recognized practice meets at least one of Character.org’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education and at least one of 31 sub-topics, such as Relationship Building, Mentoring/Buddies, Service Learning, or Integration with Academics.
ELIGIBILITY: All schools, districts, and youth-serving organizations worldwide are eligible to apply. Application Fee: $100 per application
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.
 NYLC Service Learning Conference
Each year the National Service-Learning Conference brings together more than 700 educators, administrators, higher-education faculty, non-profit leaders, government officials, AmeriCorps members, and students from across the nation and around the world for three days of learning, connection, and inspiration. This year, the National Service-Learning Conference’s theme is Justice in Action.
The conference provides more than 100 hands-on learning opportunities through workshops, keynote and thought leader sessions. Topics range from social-emotional learning and civic education to youth leadership and international service-learning. Youth of all ages are welcome at the event (with an adult mentor).
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Contest For Students
Kids to Parks Day National School Contest
Deadline: February 1
National Park Trust is once again hosting the Kids to Parks (KTP) Day National School Contest to help educators engage their students with their local parks. This national contest is open to all Title I schools in the United States (grades pre-K-12). Classes can receive funding for a KTP event in May at a park or public land/waterway in their community. Students must research and write the proposal themselves, although teachers are encouraged to provide support and feedback! Entries should explain how your experience will promote education, health and wellness, and park stewardship. NPT will award park grants up to $1,000 to winning entries.
The Purpose Challenge Essay Contest
Deadline: February 1
Find your purpose at http://www.purposechallenge.org and win up to $25,000 for college! The Purpose Challenge toolkit helps high school seniors explore and identify their purpose - infusing what they learn about themselves into their 2017-2018 college applications. They can enter that essay in a contest; six students will win prizes ranging from $5,000 to $25,000
Grant Opportunities
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Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Grants: $400 grants are available for youth leaders ages 5-25 and $1,000 grants are available to schools and organizations across the U.S. to turn their ideas into action and make an impact on the issue of childhood hunger on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) – April 20-22, 2018 – and beyond. $400 Summer 2018 Sustainability Grants will also be awarded to up to 25 youth grantees to sustain and continue their GYSD projects.
- Sign up for The Great Kindness Challenge! This one-week program is centered on a 50 item checklist, which is comprised of kind acts created and performed by youth. The goal is to empower students by cultivating compassion, kindness and empathy in the classroom and beyond. The upcoming challenge is scheduled for January 22-26, 2018.
- Do you know a student (ages 6-17) humanitarian doing good in their community? Nominate them at The Future of Good to win $1,000 for their cause! Grant recipients will be announced Jan. 18.
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Start 2018 With Service
Get inspired by the many people who stood up for equality and a better world for everyone, and then take action to ensure that everyone enjoys the same rights without fear of discrimination because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or other aspect of their identity. Below are projects and resources to help you take action, learn more and get involved in making the world a more fair and equal place to live:
Project Ideas from Generation On:
Resources from Generation On:
View civil rights lesson plans from Learning to Give.
Wednesday, January 10 at 4:00pm Eastern
Join a webinar with The Great Kindness Challenge and the BE FEARLESS BE KIND Consortium to explore concrete ways to inspire and empower youth and their families to have the compassion, empathy, and courage to stand up for others and be inclusive throughout their lives. This webinar will explore a number of innovative ways you can kick off the new year with kindness. The seven best-in-class BE FEARLESS BE KIND consortium partners will introduce you to fun and meaningful projects, activities, and resources that you can implement immediately with your students and their families.
Register Today
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Practicing simple, regular kind acts nurtures empathy, alters behavior, changes a culture, and transforms lives. Here are 100 simple ways to help children recognize Kindness Power. Print them off and post them on your refrigerator or classroom door. Then encourage your children to add kind deeds to the list. Or even better, brainstorm your own list as a family, class, or group.
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Upcoming Service & Awareness Events
Save the Date and Plan Ahead
Stay Connected with Character Matters
Connect with Us on Facebook
Connect with us on Remind.com: or text @gedg98 to 81010
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