Character Education Partnership Mission Statement

Leading the nation in helping schools develop people of good character for a just and compassionate society.

Character Education Partnership Vision Statement

• Character Education Partnership (CEP) is one of the world's premier character education organizations.  It is recognized as a leader in the field and a foremost advocate for developing young people of good character and civic virtue.
• CEP offers a diverse framework for character education that educational institutions and communities use to initiate and sustain effective character education programs.
• CEP is well funded, sustainable, has a broad based membership, and does work of consistently high quality as a result of its direct efforts and the effective alliances built by its diverse Board and staff.
• Stakeholders look to CEP for leadership, and it is sought after for advocacy, consulting, and training.  CEP is a reliable resource for schools, parents, character education practitioners, businesses, governments, and the media.
• CEP's programs, practices, and procedures serve as the cornerstone from which others build, are infused throughout every university's curriculum, and represent a common language in K-12 schools.  The National Schools of Character (NSOC) winners serve as model sites for others to visit.
• CEP's outstanding research has resulted in schools' valuing character and academic development equally; communities' taking shared responsibility for the successful social and civic growth of each child; and the creation of caring and just communities.
• A commemorative publication has been released that highlights CEP's historical movement and global presence.  Because of CEP's work, the world is a better place - its people are ethical, service-minded, and responsible.

Brief History of the Character Education Partnership: A Decade of Leadership

In March 1992, Diane Berreth and Steve Boyd convened a conference in Racine, Wisconsin, to discuss the question, “How to Provide Effective K-12 Character Education?” The goal was to encourage leaders of national education associations to give greater attention and priority to character education. The conference called for a new national coalition to:

• Publicize the need for and benefits of K-12 character education.
• Disseminate information about the most effective programs.
• Assist schools and communities in their efforts to initiate new character education initiatives. 

In response to this call, the Character Education Partnership (CEP) was incorporated on February 5, 1993, in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian organization.

The Founding Strategic Plan

In July of 1994, the CEP Board of Directors adopted a strategic plan to achieve seven goals by the year 2000:

1. Advance comprehensive character education that enhances schools’ capacity to meet children’s needs and to foster their motivation and learning in the moral domain.
2. Establish character education as a national priority essential to the learning process and academic achievement.
3. Involve leading educational associations, businesses, and other organizations in promoting character education.
4. Collaborate with other organizations to educate communities about conditions necessary for the healthy development of children.
5. Communicate effectively to CEP constituencies and to the public.
6. Establish effective organizational operations delivering high quality services to CEP members and educational personnel and supporting CEP’s strategic goals.
7. Achieve financial security. 

 Steady Growth for CEP and the Character Movement

Since the founding of CEP there has been a period of steady growth, both for the organization and for the character education movement as a whole. During this time, the CEP Board and staff have worked to provide leadership, raise public awareness, and develop the quality standards needed to strategically advance the field of character education.