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Students and
Educators
Celebrate Character
By Kinsey Wangaard
Connecticut’s Assets-Based Character Education
Conference held March 4 and 5 in New Britain brought together over
three hundred students and educators with the goal to celebrate
positive character. The sold-out event featured Dr. Thomas Lickona,
the author of Educating for Character and Director for The Center
for the Fourth and Fifth R's (Cortland, NY) as the keynote speaker.
Fourteen workshops were also presented in two breakout sessions
along with inspirational entertainment from two school-based youth
choirs.
 The conference was
launched Thursday night with a leadership reception at Central
Connecticut State University Conference Center. The reception
introduced the theme of the conference and welcomed Dr. Lickona. The
extremely talented New Britain High School Show Choir provided
entertainment as they danced and sang to a creative selection of
songs.
Friday began with seventy energetic
voices of the Kendall Elementary School Choir United We Sing!
The students encouraged everyone to “Keep Reaching and Keep
Trying” for positive character.
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performance preceded the first seven breakout workshops.
Workshop presenters shared their unique experiences from
successful school and community character initiatives. The
workshops covered a wide spectrum of topics including: running
a morning meeting, integrating character education into school
curriculum, conflict resolution programs, implementing a
character education program throughout a school district,
assessing a character education program, and focusing on
character development during service-learning. Both elementary
and secondary school students were co-presenters in several
sessions, and many participants especially enjoyed the student
dramas and interactive workshops. |
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Dr. Thomas Lickona’s
keynote address followed the first breakout session. He shared his
unique combination of experience and vision for comprehensive
character education with conference attendees. The audience received him
warmly and many noted they would have enjoyed the opportunity to
hear more from this national leader.
 A great lunch proceeded the
afternoon breakout session. At the end of the day, many participants
commented on the excellent quality of presentations. One observer
wrote, “The presentations were both informative and fun.”
Another noted the conference had helped spark the commitment for
further expansion of a pilot character-education initiative.
Presenters and participants enthusiastically agreed that
Connecticut’s Assets-Based Character Education Conference was a great success. The
conference united educators, community leaders, school officials,
and students from all areas of Connecticut to celebrate positive
character.
Conference organizers were
encouraged by the response to this first event and are working to
plan Connecticut’s Second Assets-Based Character Education
Conference for the spring of 2000. Contact The School for
Ethical Education if you have ideas for a workshop. In the
mean time, let’s keep our ethics in action throughout our
schools and communities.
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