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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
- February Character Challenge: #KindnessMattersNC
- Become a North Carolina School of Character
OPPORTUNITIES & AWARDS
- 11 Principles of Character Education: Building School Cultures Where Every Student Thrives
- Regional Trainings: Jewish Identity & Antisemitism Today
- Promising Practices in Character Education
- SHAC Learning Collaborative
- NC Counselor Association Drive In Workshop: February 20, 2026
- Laws of Life Essay Contest
- Webinars
- Coffee & Character Chats
- SEL Day: March 2, 2026
INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS & RESOURCES
- Greater Good Science Center: Resources for Educators
- On-Demand Professional Learning
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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February Character Challenge: #KindnessMattersNC
🌟 Embrace the spirit of kindness throughout February with our #KindnessMattersNC Challenge! Inspired by the heartwarming stories shared by Steve Hartman, this month-long initiative encourages teachers, leaders, students, and families to engage in daily acts of kindness. Whether integrated into morning meetings and content area classes, each day presents an opportunity for reflection, writing, and fostering a culture of compassion.
📝 Access daily videos and journal prompts to guide your reflections.
🗓️ Mark your calendars! Random Act of Kindness Day is celebrated on February 17 every year. We're extending the celebration throughout the month, making February dedicated to spreading kindness.
📸 Share your experiences on social media using the hashtag #KindnessMattersNC! Teachers and leaders are encouraged to spread positivity by showing how kindness has impacted the school or encouraging students to create their own kindness videos—just like Steve Hartman! Educators can submit evidence of school initiatives or student work to NCDPI. Your submissions may be featured on our NCDPI social media, newsletters, and website. Also, be sure to share your experiences on your social media using the hashtag #CharacterMattersNC!
Let's celebrate February with kindness, compassion, and uplifting stories. Together, we can create a ripple effect of positivity that extends far beyond our classrooms.
#CharacterMattersNC #KindnessMattersNC
 Become a School of Character
The deadline for this year has passed, but it’s the perfect time to begin your journey so you’re ready for next year’s submission. Whether you’re just exploring or ready to grow, the NCDPI Action Plan will guide your team step-by-step.
Get started:
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Make a copy of the NCDPI Action Plan
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Determine your school’s readiness
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Explore NCDPI Resources aligned to the 11 Principles of Character Education.
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Contact Justyn Burgess to schedule a coaching meeting and walk through your application plan.
11 Principles of Character Education Workshop
Building School Cultures Where Every Student Thrives
March 25, 2026 | 9:00-4:00 pm
Harnett County Schools: Gentry Educator Development Center
114 Porter Drive, Erwin, NC 28339
Join NCDPI for a full-day, interactive professional development session to help schools apply the 11 Principles to build a culture of character across their classrooms, schools, and districts. This session will introduce a wide range of approaches, strategies, and practices that school leaders can implement immediately to transform their school climate and culture. Whether your school is beginning its journey or seeking to deepen its implementation, this workshop will provide:
- A clear overview of each principle
- Examples from NC Schools of Character
- Practical strategies for improving school culture
- Tools for assessing progress and gathering evidence
- Support for completing the School of Character Application
 With acts of antisemitism on the rise around the nation, students need to feel safe at school. Join NCDPI for a full-day professional learning session to explore Jewish identity, learn about antisemitism today, and discuss ways to ensure all of our students feel safe and included in our schools. Contact Tom Daugherty with any questions.
Promising Practices
Promising Practices generally include innovative approaches that promote a particular character strength (or several), engage multiple stakeholders (such as students, staff, caregivers, and community members), and align with the core values of a school or organization. Each Promising Practice must also align with at least one of the 11 Principles. Many of the practices highlight the importance of relationship building, fostering a sense of belonging, promoting service learning, improving behavior, amplifying student voice and leadership, and engaging parents and the community. Deadline is March 22, 2026.
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SHAC Learning Collaborative
NC Healthy Schools hosts monthly SHAC Learning Collaborative sessions. These monthly meetings are the last Monday of each month at 3:00 pm (unless scheduled otherwise, due to holidays, etc.) and are open to all SHAC representatives (or those considering joining a SHAC) to come learn more about what other PSUs are doing, hear about various resources, and share about your activities.
These meetings will primarily focus on SHACs and the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Childmodel. There will be opportunities to discuss general questions, such as building the team, partnerships, data use, action planning, and questions relevant to your WSCC efforts.
Southeast Region, District 2 Drive-In Workshop
February 20, 2026 8:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
261 Northwest Corridor Blvd
Burton Industrial Park, Jacksonville
Session Highlights
- The Character Continuum – Dr. Kisha Bryant and Justyn Burgess (NCDPI)
- Clocked In & Organized: Tracking Counselor Time with Google Calendar – Su-Lin Banks
- The NC Student Success Standards at a Glance – Dr. Kisha Bryant, NCDPI
- Empowering Students Through Digital Comprehensive Academic Portfolios (CAPs) – Willoughby Newcomb
- Understanding Brain Development and Neurodivergence – Kimberly Hardister
- Every Tier Counts: The School Counselor’s Role in MTSS – Savanna Stiles
Northwest Region, District 7 Drive-In Workshop
February 26, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
ASU Hickory Campus
800 17th Street NW, Hickory
Session Highlights
- Character Education and the School Counselor – Dr. Kisha Bryant, NCDPI
- NC Student Success Standards – Dr. Kisha Bryant, NCDPI
- Unlocking the Digital Dilemma – Sofia Montes, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
- Counseling in Color: Embrace Expressive Arts in School – Bethany White, School Counselor
- Empowering Students Through Digital Comprehensive Academic Portfolios (CAP) – Willoughby Newcomb, School Counselor
Western Region District 8 Drive-In Workshop
February 28, 2026 8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
WRESA
200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206, Asheville
Session Highlights
- Empowering Students Through Digital Comprehensive Academic Portfolios (CAP) – Willoughby Newcomb, School Counselor
- Character Education and the School Counselor – Dr. Kisha Bryant, NCDPI
- NC Student Success Standards – Dr. Kisha Bryant, NCDPI
- Working with “The Anxious Generation” – Lillian Modak, School Counselor (retired)
- Administrator and School Counselor Collaboration – Dr. Heidi Von Dolen, WCU Professor of School Administration
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The Laws of Life Essay Contest
The Laws of Life essay contest encourages elementary, middle, and high school students to reflect and write about a core value that means the most to them – and why. All essay writers will be recognized by Character.org. They will also recognize the most compelling essays and feature them on their website and social media channels.
Submission deadline: May 15, 2026
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Story-Driven Social Studies: Literacy Connections for Elementary Learners
The Book: Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard
February 10, 2026 | 3:00 to 4:15 PM EST
In this webinar, elementary teachers will explore how the picture book Miss Nelson Is Missing can be used to introduce and teach key social studies concepts, including government, order, rules, community, and responsibility. Participants will learn how to integrate this text into lessons that support civics and government objectives, including explaining why people follow rules (K.C&G.1.1), exemplifying how individuals and groups follow and contribute to rules and laws (K.C&G.1.2, 1.C&G.1.2), and identifying the consequences of following or not following rules (K.C&G.1.3).
The session will also model how the story can be extended in upper elementary grades to help students classify the roles and responsibilities of leaders (3.C&G.1.2) and compare the roles of state-elected leaders (4.C&G.1.1) through inquiry, discussion, and primary source connections. Throughout the webinar, practical strategies for integrating picture books and narratives with the North Carolina Literacy Instruction Standards will be highlighted to support disciplinary literacy.
Support Student Well-Being Through Focused Learning and Meaningful Human Connection
Thursday, February 19, 2026 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST
Today’s schools are navigating a complex learning environment shaped by constant connectivity, rising student stress, and increasing demands on educators. Creating conditions where students can focus deeply, engage authentically, and build meaningful human connections has become both more challenging and more essential than ever.
This webinar will explore how school leaders can intentionally design learning environments that support student focus, well-being, and connection while addressing the realities of modern technology use. Drawing on research, district leadership experience, and practical implementation examples, the panelists will examine how distractions, digital habits, and schoolwide systems influence learning, classroom culture, and student mental health. This edLeader Panel will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders
☕ Coffee & Character Chats ☕
Community • Character • Connection
February 18, 2026 | 10:00–11:00 (EST).
Once you register, you will receive an email with the meeting link. Join us each month for an informal virtual gathering where educators across North Carolina come together to share stories, reflect, and encourage one another in this work of building character and community.
Whether you bring a cup of coffee, tea, or your favorite morning drink, this is a space to:
💬 Celebrate stories of impact happening in schools
🌱 Share resources, strategies, and ideas
💛 Support one another in sustaining a culture of character
JOIN US — one cup, one chat, one community at a time.
🫶 6th Annual SEL Day 🫶
March 2, 2026
SEL Day is a global, grassroots campaign for social-emotional learning to support children’s academic recovery, mental health, and well-being. Since its inception in 2020, #SELday has reached over 40 million views. In 2025, over 7,000 SEL champions representing all 50 U.S. states and 80 countries made 4,600+ commitments to showcase, promote, advocate, and support SEL. Advocacy efforts have resulted in SEL Day proclamations in eight states. Make your commitment today to showcase SEL in your community, promote it to your personal and professional networks, advocate for it with your policymakers, and support it in your local schools, organizations, and community.
Attend the SEL Day Summit—your registration includes access to the free online event showcasing SEL best practices from states across the country and around the globe. Detailed agenda coming soon! Watch for additional ways to engage with #SELday in your local community from our SEL4US state alliances and global partners!
Teacher Professional Learning
Wake Forest Center for Literacy Education
The Wake Forest Center for Literacy Education sponsors professional learning for K-12 educators. These courses are intended to bring literacy to life for local public school teachers and school leaders and to help educators apply what they have learned to their own classroom and school environments.
Using a lifelong learning approach through short enrichment courses taught by Wake Forest faculty, staff, and community partners, these non-credit-bearing courses focus on meaningful professional learning on topics in literacy education, specifically designed for K-12 public school teachers and administrators.
Registration is open for spring teacher professional learning courses. We would appreciate it if you could help us spread the word with educators and administrators in your networks or via social media by sharing the following link: https://literacy.wfu.edu/teacher-professional-learning. There is a non-refundable $20 registration fee for all participants. K-12 public school teachers and administrators who attend the entire professional learning course will receive a $20 gift card to reimburse their registration fee.
Upcoming Spring Courses Include:
- Crafting a Writing Identity
- Building a Data-Informed School Culture
- Smart Steps: Financial Freedom for Educators and the Students They Teach
- Annotation in the Age of AI
- Unlocking the Power of Storytelling
- Teaching Information Literacy in Secondary Schools
- Unpacking Propaganda: Education and Indoctrination in the Third Reich
- Engaging Reflective and Relational Practices to Foster Character, Care, and Community in K-12 Schools
- Making in the K-12 Classroom
- Bringing Books to Life: Literacy at the Core of STEAM Learning
UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center:
Resources for Educators
UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center draws on the science of well-being to help educators build kinder, happier schools where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Explore learning opportunities such as the free resource hub, monthly community meetings, a self-paced course, or join a community of practice.
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
The Power of Choosing Love: Watch an Inspiring conversation with Scarlett Lewis, founder of the Choose Love Movement. After the loss of her son Jesse in the Sandy Hook tragedy, Scarlett turned pain into purpose — spreading a message rooted in three simple, powerful words: Nurturing. Healing. Love. Learn how the Choose Love Formula empowers educators to build stronger, more connected school communities.
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 that help students build a deeper understanding of themselves and others while fostering empathy, emotional intelligence, and meaningful social connections.
Relationship Skills: Discover strategies to help your students cultivate strong interpersonal connections, communication skills, and conflict resolution
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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