"INTELLIGENCE plus CHARACTER, that is the goal of TRUE EDUCATION."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is Character Development?
Character is the aggregate pattern of behavior, decisions, and actions that mark or make up a good human being. It is a lifelong journey that not only develops over time but is unique to each individual. For some, the word “character” conjures questions or concerns about whether school-based initiatives might seek to impose certain morals or beliefs onto students. To be clear, our initiatives are non-partisan and non-sectarian and serve only to explore our common humanity.
Character Development is a comprehensive and holistic approach to helping children understand, care about and consistently practice character strengths that will support them in school, relationships, and the workplace.
CHARACTER + SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING = 100%
Character Development is best understood through the framework of the Character and Social Emotional Development (CSED) National Guidelines. Comprised of nine areas, the CSED guidelines don’t just add a character piece to many existing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs, but fuse the two together to create a unified framework that supports, nurtures, and fosters the whole child. To gain a better understanding about CSED, click HERE!
At CITRS, we have identified 185 Character Strengths that contribute to one's character. To identify your Character Strengths and learn more about CSED, click HERE!
A Collaborative Approach
At CITRS, we believe that every child deserves equal access to the absolute best character-centered programs, whether in a public, private, or home school setting. To create this, CITRS works with school districts and organizational leadership to design and implement K-12 initiatives creating sustainable nurturing environments. We empower schools by providing resources and strategies for teachers to customize instruction and meet the specific needs of their classrooms. CITRS does not provide direct instruction to students.
Our “train the trainer” concept is used to promote, unify, and expand the teachers’ awareness of character and its importance in the lives of their students as well as their own. We first work with the administrative leadership, followed by the frontline staff, made up of the teachers and coaches, who then work directly with the student body.
While we offer a range of options to meet varying budgets, in order to build a solid foundation of sustainability, we encourage our 3-year Gold Standard program.
