Japhet School: An Award-Winning National School of Character
What does that mean — a “National School of Character?”
It means that Japhet School is a leader on the front of bringing character education into schools.We were the very first school in Michigan — and the first independent school in the country — to receive this award.
Why? Our mission says it all: We nurture and prepare students for life by integrating character education with a strong academic program. We don’t have “character coaches,” “character class,” or “character books.” At Japhet, teaching and expressing good character is a part of our school culture — in every class, every day. From Monday morning INSPO to math class to lunchtime recess, you can witness students learning and appreciating what it means to be kind and to be responsible.
National Schools of Character are chosen by the Character Education Partnership in Washington, D.C. It recognizes K-12 schools that demonstrate exemplary programs that encourage the social and ethical development of their students, while maintaining strong academic standards. The award was created to recognize outstanding character education initiatives that yield positive results in student behavior, school climate and academic performance.
Since becoming a National School of Character, Japhet School has hosted our own annual character conference for teachers and parents, and we have been invited to be teachers-of-teachers as other schools and districts strive to launch their own character education initiatives.
As an example, Birmingham Public Schools in Michigan, which serves more than 8,000 students, asked Japhet School to be their partner as they launched a district-wide character education initiative. We co-hosted a conference for 900+ educators and parents, and Japhet teachers hosted a variety of workshops. Since that time, Birmingham has had some of its schools named National and Michigan Schools of Character, and more are on their way with “Promising Practice” awards from the CEP.
If you’d like to learn more about the CEP and the National School of Character award — including a list of the 11 principles by which the CEP determines award-worthy schools — visit www.character.org.
