Character education conference this Sept. 21-22 on how to raise good children

Schools have the responsibility to develop character in our youth, and their role is growing increasingly essential in molding good, and not just smart, future leaders. The challenge for schools today is not whether to do character education, but rather how to do it well. Character education experts say the involvement of the whole community, including staff, students, and parents, is crucial to the success of a school’s character education initiative.   

To discuss leading strategies for educators and parents, PAREF Woodrose School as part of its 35th year celebration, is hosting leading authority on moral development and education Thomas Lickona, PhD for a Character Education Conference on September 21 and 22 at AIM Conference Center in Makati City. Dr. Lickona is a developmental psychologist and professor of education at the State University of New York at Cortland, where he founded and directs the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility).  

 

“Character education provides the needed qualities to be an excellent performer and at the same time the moral compass to lead ethical lives. Nowadays it is not enough to be merely knowledgeable about the world; one has to be capable of making sense of what he or she knows in order to manage information, be an effective communicator, or to innovate,” says Kathleen Pineda, Academic Formation Director at PAREF Woodrose School, a private school for girls that promotes academic and moral excellence through close partnership with parents.

 

The Character Education Conference is highly recommended for educators and parents. Day 1 of the conference is aimed at educators, as Dr. Lickona talks about “Integrating excellence and ethics for success in school, work and beyond.” He will discuss classroom and school wide strategies, drawn from award-winning teachers and schools that show how to teach character and academics at the same time. On Day 2, targeted at parents as well as educators, he will talk about building strong families that foster good character.

 

Dr. Lickona emphasizes the role of the family in laying down the foundation for character development, and the school building on that base: “The family is the first and most important influence on a child’s character. The school’s job is to reinforce the positive character values being taught at home.”

 

“It's been said that one of the hallmarks of character education is that it teaches what's right before something goes wrong,” says Dr. Lickona. “Things will still go wrong, of course—character education doesn't eliminate human nature—but now, when the teachable moment arises, you have a framework in place, a standard of expected behavior to refer to.” 

 

Popularly known as the “Father of Character Education” in America, Dr. Lickona is the author of several books including the award-winning Raising Good Children, Character Matters and Educating for Character, the most comprehensive research-based book ever written for character education. He is the recipient of the Character Education Partnership’s Sandy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Character Education and the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Moral Education from the University of San Francisco.  His Center’s work was the subject of a New York Times Magazine cover story, “Teaching Johnny To Be Good.” He has been a visiting professor at Harvard and Boston Universities, and his books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. For more information, contact PAREF Woodrose School through their website or call 850-6380 loc. 151. Conference fee is P2700/head (Sept. 21 only) and P1700/head (Sept. 22 only). Two-day package is P4000/head. Register early and avail of promo and group rates. Press release and photo from PAREF Woodrose School