National Awards
Every year, the Character Education Partnership (CEP) names approximately 10 public and private schools and districts (K–12) as National Schools of Character (NSOC) to serve as models for effective character education. They receive a grant to share their transformational strategies with others at breakout sessions during CEP’s annual National Forum on Character Education where CEP honors them at a special awards ceremony. They also serve as mentors to other schools or districts and offer professional development at their home sites. In addition, their campuses become demonstration sites. CEP helps the National Schools of Character share their stories by highlighting their work on CEP’s website and in its annual publication, National Schools of Character: Award Winning Practices. Winners receive national and local press coverage and have the right to use the National Schools of Character awards name and logo.

• Purpose of the National Schools of Character
  Awards Program
  The purpose of the National Schools of Character awards program is to identify, honor, and showcase exemplars in character education and facilitate their leadership in mentoring others. The goal of the national program is to provide a variety of models of comprehensive, quality character education, representing America’s diverse educational system
• Criteria for Selection
  From the ever-increasing pool of top-rated schools and districts, CEP selects distinctive models that offer demographic variety in areas such as geographic location, socio-economic status, and grade level. CEP and state evaluators use CEP’s Character Education Quality Standards as the scoring rubric to screen applicants.

State Awards
Twenty-nine state sponsors conduct State Schools of Character (SSOC) competitions as a preliminary step to advancing to the National Schools of Character awards. State Schools of Character serve as models within their states where they can share best practices and develop a state-level mentoring network among educators. CEP and state sponsors honor SSOC winners on their websites. This tiered approach allows more schools and districts to be recognized and provides exemplary sites within states to serve as models for other educators. See State Schools of Character for more information.

Win Recognition for your Character Education Initiative Apply to be recognized in the Character Education Partnership’s 2010 National/State Schools of Character awards program. Applications for the 2011 National Schools of Character awards will be available Spring 2010.