What´s our project about

CHARACTER MATTERS: VALUES AND VIRTUES

What’s the project about…

For years parents and teachers discussed whether or not to teach values in schools. Since parents, teachers and society recognize that students have to be able to distinguish right from wrong character education programs have sprouted around the world.

Character education is the teaching of core values. For example the  six teachable “pillars of character”: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Good character education means cultivating virtues through formation of good habits. Children need to learn through actions that honesty and compassion are good, and that deceit and cruelty are bad. Adults in schools and parents should strive to be models of good character.

Character education is most effective when it is spread throughout regular school courses. In science, teachers can discuss the value of honesty in data, and in math, students can learn persistence by sticking with a problem until they get the right answer. History holds valuable lessons and heroes of character, And Character education includes having high standards for students’ academic success, too.

In our project we want to learn, we want to make experiences, we want to challenge ourselves and students and we want to distribute our results in order to open eyes and maybe change school’s reality.

Not all character education programs are effective. Discussions about gun control, abortion and same-sex marriages don’t teach children right from wrong or how to get along with others. Effective programs engage children in hands-on activities where good character is emphasized throughout the school environment as well as through the curriculum. And Character education includes having high standards for students’ academic success, too.

We want to learn about effective programs and if they can be applied to our schools. Teachers shall be introduced and educated in the topic of character education, students shall be taught differently and given ways to evaluate and monitor themselves and parents shall be informed about new ideas.

In the end it shall be evaluated if it’s recomendable to establish a character education program at school , within subjects and how.

Main target groups are first hand students, teachers and parents. Teachers shall be introduced and educated in the topic of character education, students shall be taught or monitored while teaching and parents shall be given advice. Students are aged from 12 -18 years old.

Basic structure:

Getting to know the topic – Character education and ist essential components

How to implement character education at school – Collecting ideas, workshops, seminars etc.

Learning by doing – Making expierences

Drawing conclusions – Why is it important to implement character education at school and how

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES AND SCHOOLS