I have just come across a great website called 'Character Lab'. They describe their mission as "to advance the science and practice of character development ... We turn scientific discoveries about the mindsets and skills that develop character into actionable advice for parents and teachers.” It is well worth exploring if you wish to focus on character plus intelligence, the true goals of education.

Their website contains:

• Their 'Culture Book' – this is a great idea. It explains what they do every day. It describes how they do it. Most importantly, it articulates why they do it. In short, these pages describe the ‘Character Lab’ way. When they explain each of their core values they describe ‘what this sounds like’. It also contains a lexicon which includes all the main terms they use in their culture. I have explored how to grow school culture at School Culture.
• Character playbooks that explain what character strengths like grit and curiosity are, why they’re important, and how to build them in ourselves and in the young people we care about.
• Resources: links to books, videos, and other recommended resources.
• Thought of the week is a personal essay that connects recent scientific discoveries to everyday life. It is published weekly on the website and sent out as an email newsletter.

In his blog ‘What if high school was about helping kids figure out how they could make a difference?’ Tom Vander Ark (April 18, 2019) re-visions education as an invitation to act, to make a difference. “What if, instead of shuffling from one disconnected course to another, high school was an invitation to contribution–a chance for each young person to figure out what they care about, what they’re good at, and how and where they want to make a difference?” This invitation goes to the heart of the IB mission, with its focus on action and human agency.

He provides 5 reasons for inviting students to contribute and make a difference now:

1. Better preparation for their future, developing skills of collaboration, problem-solving and agency.
2. More motivation – by focusing on real problems learning becomes more authentic.
3. Pressing problems – handling some of the key problems that face them today.
4. More opportunity to make a difference now.
5. Social economy - built on the traits that make us uniquely human—care, consideration, creativity, and critical thinking

“What if young people had the opportunity to investigate the world they will inherit and begin to make their contribution?” (Tom Vander Ark)

Click HERE for the article.

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