Importance of Character Education
It’s crucial to understand why character education is so important: our young people need help in making good choices and developing the skills that are essential to life success. Negative behaviors threaten the future of not only our schools, but our families, our communities and our nation.
How Character Education Should Be Structured
Effective character education is urgently needed. That’s why Character GPS’s character education workshops are meticulously planned according to research based principles and methods from the science of education.
A Character GPS workshop consists of eight sessions, during or after school, including both classroom and online activities to support effective learning. Students get detailed Adventure Guidebooks and other tools, as well as a personal mentor who is with them every step of the way to ensure their success. By leveraging the language and media young people instantly relate to, and by including a wide range of learning platforms such as video, music and physical activity, Character GPS makes kids feel right at home and eager to participate.
Who knew character education could be this cool?
Imagine a School Trained in Character Values
With Character GPS, kids learn in a fun, interactive environment that includes a carefully orchestrated combination of classroom and hands-on activities. Character GPS understands that raising healthy, independent, balanced kids is a collective effort that takes teachers, parents and mentors working together. That’s why we’ve intentionally designed supporting tools for parents to make it easy for them to reinforce the lessons and skills at home. Imagine a school where kids consistently treat teachers, and each other, with respect, honesty, appreciation and integrity. Plus, they’ll learn vital skills such as how to be proactive, manage their time effectively and—maybe most important of all—they’ll discover their unique gifts.
Steps in the Character Development Process
Character GPS seeks to accomplish seven key steps toward developing the character that leads to a successful life:
- I AM RESPONSIBLE: Discovering your Responsibility for your life
- I HAVE A PURPOSE: Discovering initiative to pursue Life Purpose
- I HAVE GIFTS: Discovering who you are & your giftedness
- I HAVE A VISION: Discovering a vision for your path in life
- I HAVE CONTROL OF MYSELF: Discovering self-management
- I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS: Discovering meaningful relationships
- I AM A TEAM MEMBER: Discovering teamwork & collaboration
Crucial Character Values
Finally, Character GPS learning activities identify and apply crucial character values and allow students to take responsibility for enacting them in their lives:
- Courage
- Truth
- Self-Control
- Excellence
- Initiative
- Integrity
- Appreciation
- Loyalty
- Self-Respect
- Creativity
- Goal-Setting
- Encouragement
- Excellence
- Priority-Setting
- Consideration
- Relationships
- Respect
- Teamwork
- Winning