International Forum
JOIN US VIRTUALLY OCTOBER 19-20, 2022!
2022 Keynote Speakers
Irshad Manji
New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Label Me, Irshad Manji will share with educators how to achieve diversity without division through her moral courage method that strives to cultivate unity – not conformity.
Cheryl Maurana, Ph.D.
Founding Director of the Kern National Network for Caring and Character in Medicine, Professor Cheryl Maurana will share with us the framework the Kern Network has developed to promote caring among health professionals.
Marvin Berkowitz, Ph.D.
The Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor of Character Education and Co-Director of the Center for Character and Citizenship will discuss the six principles that form the backbone of his new book PRIMED for Character Education.
Themes & Topics
Character/SEL Crosswalk
Engaging Parents
Character & Mental Health
Help Us Celebrate!
2022 National Schools of Character
2022 Promising Practices
2022 Sandy Award
Day 1 – Wednesday, October 19
9:00am – 10:45am EST
Keynote: Diversity Without Division
Founder of the Moral Courage Project and author of Don’t Label Me, Irshad Manji will share what she’s learned about moral courage and character.
An award-winning author, Irshad will offer the practical tools for communicating during these tense times, including how to build supportive relationships and learning how to hear, not fear, different perspectives.
11:00am – 11:50am EST
Panel Discussion: The Crosswalk Between Character & SEL
Panelists: Cristy Guleserian, Maurice Eilias, Lauren Boyher,
Facilitator: Arthur Schwartz
This groundbreaking session will train and equip K-12 educators with the knowledge, language, and tools to confidently crosswalk the concepts of character development and social emotional learning.
Cristy Gulesarian is the Director of Principled Innovation at Arizona State University, funded by the Kern Family Foundation.
Maurice Elias is a professor in the Psychology Department at Rutgers University, director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, and co-director of the Academy for Social-Emotional Learning in Schools.
Lauren Boyher is a school counselor at Cambridge Elementary in San Antonio and the National Schools of Character state coordinator for Texas.
11:50AM - 12:30PM EST
Lunch Break
12:30pm – 1:20pm EST
Keynote: Six Design Principles for Educators to Help Students Thrive
Celebrated character educator and author of PRIMED For Character Education, Marvin Berkowitz will share his tips and straightforward tenets from moral development, social and emotional learning, and positive psychology.
Dr. Berkowitz is the inaugural Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor of Character Education and Co-Director of the Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
1:30pm – 2:20pm EST
Keynote: Cultivating a Caring Community Toward Flourishing
Founding Director of the Kern National Network for Caring and Character in Medicine, Professor Cheryl Maurana will share with us the framework the Kern Network has developed to promote caring among health professionals.
Dr. Maurana has received national recognition for her work in public health research and community-academic partnerships. At The Medical College of Wisconsin, she has built a number of collaborations both within the College and with communities for improving health in the Milwaukee area and the state of Wisconsin.
2:30pm – 3:30pm EST
Networking Sessions
Past forum attendees have given us positive feedback about our virtual networking sessions. They loved that we offered an opportunity to come together and exchange ideas on a particular theme or topic.
Topic : Exchanging Ideas on Enhancing Your School’s Climate and Culture
Topic: Learn More About the School of Character Application
Topic: Character educators outside the U.S. coming together to share ideas and learn together
Topic: How Does Your School Get New Teachers and Staff “On Board” with Your Character Initiative?
Topic: Sharing Ideas on Ways to Assess and Strengthen your School’s Character Initiative
Topic: Fostering Academic Integrity in Your Classroom and School
Topic: Teens and Character Development
Topic: What is the latest research on character development?
Day 2 – Thursday, October 20
9:00am – 9:50am EST
Involving Parents in Your Character Initiative
Panelists: Dr. Darlene Atkins, Dr. Chris Shirley
This session will feature strategies and practices that school leaders are using to successfully engage parents in their school-wide character initiative. The panelists will also discuss results from Character.org’s recent Parent Survey
Darlene Atkins, Ed.D. is the Principal of Westlawn Middle School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Dr. Chris Shirley is the Principal of Oak Brook Elementary School in Balwin Missouri.
Cynthia Mitchell is the K-12 Character Coach at Union Academy Charter School in Monroe, North Carolina.
10:00am – 10:50am EST
Sandy Award Presentation
Friends and colleagues come together to thank and pay tribute to one of the giants in the field of ethics and character education, Michael Josephson.
Michael Josephson is the founder of Character Counts.
Invited Guest: Scott Raecker, Executive Director of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University (Iowa)
Surprise Guests Too!!!
11:00am – 11:15am EST
Recognizing our Volunteers
Every year Character.org takes this moment to thank our 150+ volunteers who make the Schools of Character program possible.
11:15am – 12:00pm EST
Celebrating our 2022 Promising Practices
Help us recognize and celebrate practices and initiatives that have demonstrated a positive impact and strongly align with one or more of the 11 Principles.
12:00PM - 12:30PM EST
Lunch Break
12:30pm - 2:15pm EST
Celebrating our 2022 National Schools (and Districts) of Character
Join us as we congratulate the 50 schools and 2 school districts that have put into place a comprehensive approach that inspires their students to understand, care about, and consistently practice a set of core values and character strengths.
Register Today!
Don’t Miss The Premiere Character Event Of The Year!
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2022 Forum Partners
