Six Aspirations Program Overview

CHARACTER EDUCATION

maintaining soft skill growth in a digital learning environment

WELCOME TO OUR NEW DAY

The world is an extraordinarily complex, nuanced place. We are living in a time that underscores that truth. Young people are in critical need of actionable skills to navigate this complexity, as academic learning is not the only factor of lifelong success. At Character Counts Mid Shore, we endeavor to empower all young people to chart their own course to success, even if in their personal lives they don’t have access to role models capable of showing them the way.

At its best, character education is about more than just extolling values. When taught in a focused, targeted fashion, character education does the critical work of equipping young people with a diverse, practicable set of noncognitive strengths upon which they can draw in the pursuit of a productive life . As we build digital tools to deliver on our mission, we are redoubling our commitment to programming that lives up to character education at its best. That also means culturallysensitive and trauma-informed lessons that seek to make character education powerfully impactful for all children.

Ever optimists, we have taken the COVID-19 public health crisis as an opportunity to embrace innovation. Within these pages, you will find an evidence-based character education program that introduces the Six Aspirations of a Characterful, Engaged, and Ready Citizen, with lessons that originate from a comprehensive body of peer-reviewed research

We invite you along this journey with us. We are building something truly special that will increase the personal capacity of a generation of young people at a pivotal moment in time . What could be more exciting or critical than that?

A NOTE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LAUREN KAY WEBER

Why Character Education?

DEVELOPING THE WHOLE CHILD FOR PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE PROSPERITY

The potential impact of character education is surprisingly far-reaching. From the individual student to their families and schools, to their communities and society-at-large, there is very little that personal character doesn’t affect.

Martin Seligman, pioneer in the field of positive psychology and a leading authority in the domains of resilience, learned helplessness, optimism and pessimism shares:

“The value of character strengths doesn’t come from its relationship to any particular system of ethics, but from their practical benefit — what one actually gains by possessing and expressing them.”

An Outcomes-Oriented Shift in Pedagogy

MOVING FROM THE 6 PILLARS TO THE 6 ASPIRATIONS OF A C.E.R. CITIZEN

For the past two decades, we have taught students the importance of the Six Pillars of Character. We’re shifting our focus to providing young people with a roadmap for embodying the these principles.

This is a research-backed, evidencebased approach to ensure that youth can not only identify and articulate the importance of these ideals, but also enact those ideals as practiceable strategies for lifelong success.

This pedagogical shift allows us to clearly define the desired outcomes of our approach: building Characterful, Engaged, and Ready Citizens . We call these transformed young people C.E.R. Citizens.

What is a C.E.R. Citizen? ENGAGED

C HARACTERFUL

Young people who learn to consistently act with integrity, employing character strengths to better themselves and others.

Young people with a lifelong commitment to meeting the call of civic responsibility.

READY

Workforce-ready young people who are well prepared for success and productivity in every domain of their lives.

CITIZEN

We encourage young people to embody C.E.R. principles in all communities in which they participate.

This includes all chosen communities: schools, workplaces, communities of faith, families, neighborhoods, state and national contexts, and more.

The Six Aspirations: A Pathway to Becoming

The Six Pillars elevate the importance of the virtue itself. Our goal with the Six Aspirations is to simultaneously engage young people in a vision of what they can be and a roadmap of how to become .

STUDENT PATHWAY TO EMBODYING

I am appropriately kind, loving, and forgiving to all, including

STUDENT PATHWAY TO EMBODYING FAIRNESS:

I commit to see the good in the world and person. I believe that everyone has potential treat them as such.

STUDENT PATHWAY TO EMBODYING CITIZENSHIP:

I fulfill my duties as a member of any and all teams in which I participate, including my responsibility to embody leadership and equity principles.

STUDENT PATHWAY TO EMBODYING TRUSTWORTHINESS:

I demonstrate trustworthiness by consistency of action in the face of external inconsistency.

STUDENT PATHWAY TO EMBODYING RESPONSIBILITY:

I embody responsibility by disciplining my mind, my thoughts, my words, my ego, and my actions.

STUDENT PATHWAY TO EMBODYING RESPECT:

I demonstrate respect to myself and others by trying my hardest at all times and in all challenges with persistence and enthusiasm.

EMBODYING CARING: loving, empathic, including myself. FAIRNESS: and in each potential and will

I embrace the unknown.

I

I love a challenge.

I value myself and others.

I see goodness in life.

I am one of many.

am in control of my thoughts, words, and actions.

The Six Aspirations of a C.E.R. Citizen

I value myself and others.

I see goodness in life.

I am one of many.

I embrace the unknown.

I am in control of my thoughts, words, and actions.

I love a challenge.

Teaching the Six Aspirations

I value myself and others.

CHARACTER STRENGTH MODULES

LOVE KINDNESS EMPATHY FORGIVENESS

CHARACTER STRENGTH MODULES

APPRECIATION OF EXCELLENCE GRATITUDE HOPE

CHARACTER STRENGTH MODULES

TEAMWORK

EQUITY LEADERSHIP

HUMOR PURPOSE

I see goodness in life.

I am one of many.

CHARACTER STRENGTH MODULES

CREATIVITY CURIOSITY CRITICAL THINKING LOVE OF LEARNING PERSPECTIVE

CHARACTER STRENGTH MODULES

HUMILITY DILIGENCE SELFREGULATION

CHARACTER STRENGTH MODULES

BRAVERY PERSISTENCE

HONESTY GRIT

Each aspiration is supported by character strength modules that originate from a comprehensive body of peer-reviewed research . There will be, in total, 24 modules in our digital learning experience.

I embrace the unknown.

I am in control of my thoughts, words, and actions.

I love a challenge.

Alignment with School Priorities

SPECIFICALLY CRAFTED TO CREATIVELY EXTEND EXISTING SCHOOL LEARNINGS

lessons.

lessons.

"I value myself and others" teachings will be taught using research-based social emotional learning lessons.

"I see goodness in life" teachings will be taught using research-based growth mindset

"I am one of many" teachings will be taught using research-based civic responsibilityfocused

"I embrace the unknown" teachings will be taught using research-based workforce readinessfocused lessons.

"I am in control of myself" teachings will be taught using research-based executive function lessons.

"I love a challenge" teachings will be taught using research-based grit lessons.

This program is specifically designed to support the existing efforts of public schools . The teaching of each aspiration will support an existing school priority in order to align, reinforce, and creatively extend learnings .

Digital Learning Experience: Nuts & Bolts

"With no intention to add more stress to fellow educators, most of whom are already feeling the strain of being overworked, I ask an important question worth considering: how can character formation continue in this time? How can character strengths be formed in students when teachers have little opportunity to interact with them?

Character formation in education is not a nice-tohave add-on; it is a must-have essential. And this should be so whether the delivery mode allows in-person interaction or is done via gadgets or printed material."

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, THE MANILA TIMES

ASYNCHRONOUS VIDEO LESSONS

Lessons will be filmed in 4K video and will generally be 10 minutes long.

ON DEMAND FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE

Videos will be available on demand. Need a 10 minute break? Transitioning from one lesson to another? Turn on a video character lesson!

INTERACTIVE TO KEEP STUDENTS ENGAGED

Lessons will feature fun, interactive content to ensure that young people are motivated to complete lessons.

RIGOROUS LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Each character strength module will feature extension materials: suggested in class tie-ins, community member interviews, and more.

This program features age-appropriate learning materials across four grade bands.

Keeping What Works: Community Involvement

A KEY STRENGTH OF OUR EXISTING PROGRAM: COMMUNITY VOICES

A key strength of Character Counts Mid Shore's existing programming was the integration of many community voices.

In this spirit, video lessons across all grade bands will be supplemented with video clips of community members sharing the importance of each character strength in their own lives.

Our beloved Character Coach volunteers — and all community members — will be invited to come to our studio to share their lived experiences with character.

Focused Workforce Development in Upper Grades

Like you, we believe that our young people benefit from targeted and explicit workforce readiness lessons. Our digital learning experience will bring these critical teachings in an on-demand format that underscores soft skills.

"A skilled workforce is a key component of Maryland's economic strength. An analysis of job postings in the 21 growth industries determined the most desired skills are 'soft skills.' These skills include the basic communications and interpersonal skills used by employees in all occupations and roles.

Additionally, employers cite a lack of soft skills as a primary concern for being unable to fill vacancies. The top 5 skills employers request in Maryland are as follows:

Customer Service Problem Solving

Interpersonal Skills Flexibility

Time Management "

MARYLAND STATE PLAN: THE WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT

Our Program Teaches the "Top 10" Desired Soft Skills

This program takes a cradle-tocareer approach to workforce readiness , starting from early ages to instill critical soft skills, targeting lifelong employability advantages.

Investing in the employability of today’s youth is an integral tool for eradicating poverty and building community sustainability and vitality . Access to soft skill education is especially critical for rural students to ensure that they are workforce competitive with more urban, connected peers.

In the upper grades, modules will pair lessons with supplementary video interviews where regional members of the workforce — employers and employees alike — discuss the importance of each character strength in employability and workplace success .

Resiliency & Grit Integrity

Organization Skills

Curiosity & Desire to Learn

Adaptability Understanding

What Business Leaders Think About Soft Skills

What Success Looks Like

PROGRAMMATIC GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES

GOALS MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES

Effect workforce readiness gains through soft skill and character growth in rural PreK - Grade 12 students.

Invest in organizational technical capacity.

Increase organizational programmatic capacity.

Ensure widespread multi-county participation

Achieve the participation of marginalized populations

Increase programmatic impact

Deliver sufficient educational instruction to fulfill program goals

Demonstrate a 10% increase in soft skill knowledge across all program participants.

Achieve an effective return on investment

Establish a video studio with necessary technological hardware and software to film and produce high-quality educational instruction.

Implement a geography- and COVID-independent digital learning experience through investing in a learning management system

Maintain a 50% participation of existing school partners, and Partner with 3 new mid-shore youth-serving agencies.

Maintain at least a 50% participation of Title I schools (percent Title I schools in districts served)

Achieve 10% growth in new school partnerships

Produce:

- 960 minutes of soft skill / character strength lesson content

- 150 minutes of soft skills / character in the workplace content

- 75 minutes of capacity building mindfulness content

$18.34 per student for a 24 week program

The Experts Who Weighed In

THE PROFESSIONALS WITH WHOM WE DEVELOPED THIS PROGRAM

Elizabeth Devlin Hackett

Chesapeake College

MA, Education and Human Development in Educational Technology

Leadership

Caroline County Public Schools Supervisor of

Talbot

Retired School

William Q. Allen, Jr.

Pupil Services

Sue E. Angel

County Public Schools

Counselor of 20+ years

Deborah E. Wooden Dorchester County Public Schools

Retired School Counselor of 20+ years

Dr. Cary Johnson BYU Pathway Instructional Psychology and Technology

Lauren Kay Weber Character Counts Mid Shore, Inc. Executive Director

MISSION

We empower character growth to pave pathways of success for all young people and to invest in the vitality of communities.

VISION

We envision a future where all youth have equitable access to the tools needed to be well prepared for productive lives. In this future, the communities we serve are healthy and sustainable, benefitting from a characterful, engaged citizenry.

CORE VALUES

CHARACTER

We act at all times in alignment with the character principles we espouse. We aspire to be transparent and exercise integrity beyond reproach.

EQUITY

We work to embody practices, structures, and policies that realize equitable access to opportunity for all.

COLLABORATION

We assume the responsibility to engage in authentic collaboration with community partners to best serve the youth we work to empower.

OUTCOME-DRIVEN DECISIONMAKING

We pursue ambitious, meaningful outcomes that pave accessible pathways for lifelong success for all youth. We hold ourselves accountable for making outcome-oriented decisions that place the best interest of the young people we serve at the forefront.

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

We operate with curiosity, embracing new ideas to continuously improve. We take informed risks, maximize successes, and view failures as opportunities to evolve.

© 2020 Lauren Kay Weber. All rights reserved.