For Immediate Release:
ARLINGTON, VA (May 21, 2012) – The Character Education Partnership (CEP), the leading national advocate for character education, awarded Imagine Schools thirteen Promising Practices, recognizing two national initiatives and eleven campus-based initiatives. CEP reviewed 537 applications from Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong and the U.S. and honored 297 initiatives. Imagine Schools garnered more honors than any other educational organization.
Promising Practices awards highlight the unique and specific strategies used on campuses and across organizations to help students become better scholars, citizens, friends, and leaders. All winning schools and practices are listed on the CEP website (www.character.org) and will be included in the Character Education Partnership’s annual publication, National Schools of Character: Award-Winning Practices.
Eileen Bakke, Imagine Schools’ Co-founder and Vice President for Education stated, “Positive character development is one of Imagine’s Measures of Excellence by which we hold ourselves accountable. Through goal setting, effective implementation of character programing and rigorous evaluation, our educators are working daily to inspire and challenge each student to become a person of high ethical character.”
The Imagine Schools National Office received recognition for the Imagine Schools’ proprietary middle school character curriculum, Digging Deeper, Character Formation for the Middle Years. The curriculum, comprised of six units on themes of relevance to middle school students, helps young people develop stronger moral and performance character.
Another Promising Practice award was given to Imagine Schools national office to recognize the practice of hosting “character calls,” in which leaders on selected campuses facilitate discussions about character initiatives that have been effective in improving school culture and contributing to students’ academic growth.
Promising Practices awards also were given to the following Imagine campuses: Imagine Bella Academy (Crucial Catch); Imagine Academy of Environmental Science and Math (The Depth of Character Data and IAESM Rocket Pride); Imagine East Mesa (Intramural Sports Program and Victory Jog for Perfect Attendance); Imagine Great Western Academy (Imagine Great Western “Bear Buddies”) Imagine Harrisburg Pike Community School (Data Driven Decisions and Character Education); Imagine Madison Avenue (TNT is Blowing Up Character at Imagine Madison Avenue); Imagine School at Town Center (Imagine Town Center Stomps Out Name Calling); Imagine School at Evening Rose (Character Makeover and Character Car Chat Cards); and Imagine South Lake (World Wednesdays).
Bakke concluded, “These Promising Practices demonstrate only a few of the ways that Imagine Schools integrates character development into every aspect of the school day. Parents recognize the value of character formation, leadership and service as important components of a quality education and life-long success.”
Award recipients will be honored at the annual Promising Practice ceremony at the CEP National Forum on Character Education on November 1-4, 2012 in Washington, D.C.
At that event, CEP also will recognize Imagine Schools as a National School of Character Finalist, which is CEP’s highest award that recognizes schools for their outstanding character development of students and building school cultures that allow students to thrive socially and academically. Imagine Schools, one of only 28 finalists selected to advance to the final round of the application process, is the only national charter school organization recognized from an applicant pool of 126 schools and districts across the United States.
###
Imagine Schools is a national family 75 public charter educating over 40,000 students in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Imagine Schools partners with parents and guardians to educate their children by providing high quality schools that prepare students for lives of leadership, accomplishment, and exemplary character.
Contact: Krystal Sherrill
616-340-0365
[email protected]
Be Social