“I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for an incredible Forum. It was an experience that touched my heart profoundly, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it. The sessions were not just informative; they were transformative. I was moved to tears multiple times, hearing stories of resilience, character, and the fantastic work happening across the nation.”
Our 30th Anniversary Forum was a big success! Over 700 educators and civic leaders from around the world gathered in Washington, D.C. to learn from each other on how to cultivate a culture of character in our families, schools, teams, and communities. Our partners and exhibitors included the leading character education organizations in the field, including Character Strong, Character Counts!, Character Plus, Collaborative Classroom, Leader In Me, Teach Like a Champion, the National Medal of Honor Museum and Institute, and many others. Our keynote speakers inspired us and our 60+ breakout session leaders equipped all our Forum attendees with new character-inspired practices and initiatives.
Here is one of the many testimonials we received:
Among the notable moments of the three-day conference was presenting our 2023 John Winthrop Wright “Ethics In Action” Award to Jim Clark, President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Dick Pieper, a former Character.org Board member, introduced Jim with a moving tribute and Peter Donovan, The School For Ethical Education board chair, presented the award to Jim. Jim then gave an impassioned acceptance speech about how character is a pillar of his leadership style.
Moving forward, the board and staff at Character.org are committed to returning character to the forefront of our national dialogue. Our aspirations are bold and serve as our animating vision: a future where people everywhere are more ethical, civic-minded, and caring.
Dr. Michele Borba shared science-backed strategies to the mental health crisis facing teens and Dr. Maurice Elias explored how to shape positive student behaviors by fostering their sense of purpose. Our attendees also heard from Scarlett Lewis, Joe Beckman, Houston Kraft, and Antonio Cooper.
For many, the emotional highlight was Steve Hartman’s inspirational keynote, which featured stories of ordinary people making a difference by doing extraordinary acts of goodness. Steve’s keynote reminded us that there are good people across our nation who show the courage and conviction to help those who may need our love and compassion.
Highlights From Our 2023 Forum
2023 Keynote Speakers
Steve Hartman
Character Can Change The World
The Power of Real-Life Stories to Help Students Practice Kindness and Gratitude
During the pandemic, Steve Hartman from the iconic CBS News series “On The Road” began a new series called “Kindness 101.” Together with his children, Steve shares stories around character-inspired themes and how ordinary people are doing extraordinary acts and changing lives. Steve will give a keynote at our Forum on how to join thousands of teachers around the country who are using his videos to inspire students to build connections, and how through a ripple effect, create a more caring and compassionate world.
Dr. Michele Borba
Character: The Science-Backed Solution to Our Mental Health Crisis
Tools and strategies to improve well-being
Our young people are experiencing a mental health crisis due to a variety of factors. In her keynote, renowned psychologist Dr. Michele Borba will share the science-based tools and strategies educators and families can use to equip young people with the resiliency and character strengths that all of us need during the inevitable storms of life.
Dr. Maurice Elias
Cracking The Intrinsic Motivation Code
5 Insights To Help Students Discover Their Moral Compass
Dr. Elias will explore how to shape positive student behaviors by fostering their sense of purpose. He will also discuss the evidence-informed approaches and practices that encourage students to set goals for themselves, to think about their own thinking, as well as tools to help students assess and strengthen their own character. This highly-interactive keynote will draw on many of the key indicators highlighted in Principle 7 of our 11 Principles Framework for Schools.
Breakout Sessions
Together we learned about peer mentoring, service learning, staff retention and morale, parent engagement, student leadership, sports, restorative practices, and much more. Check out some highlights in the short clips below
Jim Clark, President of Boys and Girls Clubs of America received our John Winthrop Wright “Ethics in Action” Award!
Phil Brown, co-founder of the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Character Development (NJASECD), received our “Sandy Award” for lifetime achievement in character education!
2023 Forum Partners
Character.org is honored that the Kern Family Foundation is our 2023 Forum Sponsor.
