Helping Young People Develop an “Above and Beyond” Mindset
By Dr. Arthur Schwartz Congress established National Medal of Honor Day in 1991 to “foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor recipients.” Our lawmakers chose March 25 because on that date in 1863 the first Medal of Honor was awarded to six Union...
The Power of Networks to Cultivate Character
By Dr. Arthur Schwartz This past week I spoke at a convening organized by Harvard University’s Center for Human Flourishing. The Center brought together leaders from character formation organizations across the United States (and the UK) to discuss how we could...
The Unspoken Rules That Place Boys In A Box
By Dr. Arthur Schwartz My father took me to my first Philadelphia Eagles game when I was six, and ever since I’ve been a proud member of the “bleeding green” nation. A lifelong Eagles fan. Last week, when I learned that Eagles center Jason Kelce had announced his...
Are Compassion and Empathy Key To Our Survival?
By Dr. Arthur Schwartz I joined the Character.org board in 2010 and one of the best decisions the board ever made was to encourage our staff to emphasize the different “gateways” where all of us learn about the importance of character. Beyond schools, character is...
How Can Schools Create A Culture of Dignity?
By Dr. Arthur Schwartz Last week, the Kern Family Foundation invited me to give a talk to 50+ school leaders on “How Character Gives SEL Its Why.” The foundation also provided each school leader at the convening a copy of the National Guidelines on Character &...
Who Coined The Term Ethical Fitness?
By Dr. Arthur Schwartz I cherish when two words come together to form an enthralling image. For example, over 25 years ago, I heard Rushworth Kidder use the term “ethical fitness” for the first time. I was immediately transfixed. Spellbound. What triggered my eureka...