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Sign up for the Character Education Updates to stay informed, and visit our Character Education Website for information on legislation, resources, and State Schools of Character.
UPDATE INCLUDES:
SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTER
- Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
OPPORTUNITIES & AWARDS
- Apply to be a State and National School of Character
- Leading With Character Summit: November 3, 2025
- Webinars
- Grants
INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS & RESOURCES
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New eBook from Character.org: A Proactive Approach to Fostering Honesty and Integrity in Schools
- Professional Learning Opportunity: How to Integrate Character Education in ELA & Social Studies by Learning About the Holocaust
- On-Demand Professional Learning
- New Resources for External Implementation Guide
Follow Us On Facebook and Instagram
We’re excited to announce that Character Education in North Carolina now has official Facebook and Instagram pages! Follow us for the latest updates on Character Development, Service Learning, Student Leadership, and more:
Help us show that Character Matters in NC! If your school or district is doing something impactful in the areas of character, leadership, or service, we want to hear about it. Send your stories so we can help spotlight the great work happening across the state.
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 BECOME A SCHOOL OF CHARACTER
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
The 2026 Schools of Character application is now live! If your school is ready to grow its character education journey—or if you're just starting to explore the process—now is the perfect time to begin.
Visit our Schools of Character page to:
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Determine your school’s readiness,
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Explore new and updated resources,
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And begin your application with confidence.
Don’t miss the newly updated Guide to Apply, which walks you through the redesigned evaluation cycle and offers step-by-step support for a successful application. Click below to start!
 November 3, 2025 | 9 am - 4 pm
The Friday Institute: 1890 Main Campus Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606
- Gain insight into the 11 Principles of Character Education and practical ways to apply them in your school.
- Be inspired by success stories from State and National Schools of Character and learn how they revitalized their school communities.
- Connect with experts and fellow school leaders to deepen your understanding of Character Education.
Would You Like To Learn More About Character Education?
Are you eager to create a culture of character in your classroom, school, and district using the 11 Principles of Character Education? NCDPI has professional learning opportunities to assist your school or district with your character education journey. If your school or district is interested in hosting a Character Education Professional Learning Opportunity, please take a moment to complete this survey to help our NCDPI team understand your needs. Contact Justyn Burgess, State Coordinator for Character Education, if you have questions.
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 Thinking Outside the Prize Box: Navigating Challenging Behaviors in Today’s Classroom
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
In this edWebinar, Dr. Adam Holland, author and Implementation Specialist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will talk about how to prevent and address challenging behaviors in the classroom. Using motivation as a framework, attendees will learn how to reduce challenging behavior by building stronger relationships, improving children’s abilities, and making simple changes to the classroom environment.
Your School's Character Journey: A Guide to Becoming a State & National School of Character
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
Join the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) for an informative webinar on how to apply for recognition as a State or National School of Character, a prestigious distinction awarded to schools that exemplify excellence in character education.
During this session, you will learn how to:
📝 Navigate the application process and craft compelling narratives
Gain practical tips for writing powerful, authentic narratives that reflect your school’s unique character journey.
📁 Select meaningful evidence aligned to the 11 Principles Framework
Learn how to identify and organize artifacts that best illustrate your school’s commitment to character development and whole-child success.
GRANTS
Karma for Cara Microgrants: Deadline: October 1
The K4C Microgrant Program is the bridge between ideas and action, helping young citizen leaders execute and magnify their initiatives to help repair our world. Students 18 years of age and under may apply for funds between $250 and $1,000 to complete service projects in their communities throughout the United States.
 Character.org has released a powerful new eBook: A Proactive Approach to Fostering Honesty and Integrity in Schools. This resource offers a dynamic roadmap for schools seeking to intentionally integrate honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness into their school-wide character initiatives.
A highlight of the eBook is the section on "How to Help Students Develop an Integrity Mindset," which outlines five key insights:
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Students need to own their values and beliefs
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Leverage the power of commitment
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Honesty and integrity can be strengthened through intentional practice
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School-wide ethical reminders make a difference
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Reflection matters
School leaders have also found great value in the "Five Essential Checkpoints" and how each one is thoughtfully connected to Character.org’s 11 Principles Framework.
If you are interested in learning more about how to integrate the publication’s exercises and approach into your school or district’s character journey, please complete this short survey.
We’d love to connect you with additional resources and support your ongoing work in character education!
Professional Learning Opportunity: How to Integrate Character Education in English Language Arts & Social Studies through Holocaust Education
Are you looking for ways to implement both Character Education and the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act in ELA and Social Studies classrooms?
Learning about Character Education through the lens of the Holocaust allows students to build their character and develop skills like empathy and social awareness. In an effort to foster these skills, NCDPI partnered with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to create standards-based resources for implementation in secondary grades. These resources are based on using the texts Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Night by Elie Wiesel. The goal of the resources is for teachers to be able to embed both character education and Holocaust education seamlessly into the core curriculum.
Contact Thomas.Daugherty@dpi.nc.gov and Kelly.Schultz@dpi.nc.gov to set up a professional learning experience or to learn more about these resources and how they can be used in your classrooms.
On-Demand Professional Learning
Take advantage of recordings of NCDPI Character Education & Social-Emotional Learning on-demand webinars. Watch these recorded presentations to help you enhance your classroom experience and empower your students to become more empathetic, responsible, and caring citizens. These webinars will help you discover practical strategies to help your students regulate emotions, set goals, and demonstrate self-discipline. Character1 is the password for each On-Demand session.
Character Education
Leading With Character Improve the climate and culture of your school community based on the 11 principles of character education; Gain ideas and resources to improve school climate and culture from a state and national school of character; and understand the impact of character development on teachers, students, and overall school climate and culture
Intrinsic Motivation: Foster intrinsic motivation in students; develop a comprehensive, intentional, and proactive approach to character education at your school
Integrate Social-Emotional Learning in Your Classroom
Self Management: Discover practical strategies to help your students regulate emotions, set goals, and demonstrate self-discipline.
Responsible Decision-Making: Discover strategies to empower your students to think critically, make ethical choices, and contribute positively to society.
Self and Social Awareness: Discover strategies to help your students develop a deep understanding of themselves and others, fostering empathy, emotional intelligence, and positive social interactions
Relationships Skills Discover strategies to help your students discover effective strategies to help your students cultivate strong interpersonal connections, communication skills, and conflict resolution
Access New Content in the External Implementation Guide: A Place for All Standards Resources
The External Implementation Guide is a repository for all North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSOS) stakeholders. This repository provides a variety of resources for supporting administrators, educators, and parents during the implementation of the Standard Course of Study for each content area. The range of resources offers users an opportunity to determine their own specific needs and find materials that suit them.
This Canvas repository can be accessed with or without a Canvas account. Browse through resources to help you learn, plan, instruct, review, and inform yourself or others.
New Content:
- Spanish Translation Documents
- Arts Education
- English Language Development
- Healthful Living
- Science
- Social Studies
- Student Success Standards
- World Languages
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