NW Valley Times

Dr. Alicia Hunsberger initiated discussions on “Growing in Character” at the first of four summits organized by the Canyon Center for Character Education. The ongoing summits aim to foster thriving schools and students. Emily Farkas and Dr. Ashley Brandon's work at the Grand Canyon University’s center is essential in promoting character education as a solution to current societal behaviors.

Education leaders can alter the current narrative by fostering dignity and understanding the value of each person, according to Dr. Ashley Brandon, the center's assistant director. These thoughts were shared ahead of the fourth and final summit at GCU. The series offers education managers and teachers insights and methodologies in character education.

Emily Farkas, the program director, emphasized the overarching theme of advancing the common good. She stated, “That is part of education, not only enhancing your own virtue but seeing that in others by uplifting their virtues.” Farkas believes that by promoting virtue, emerging challenges could be addressed effectively.

The summits have included national experts and have averaged over 80 participants. Farkas mentioned, “We are proud of the potential impact we will be able to make.” As the center's funding nears the end of its initial three-year, $2.27 million grant from the Kern Family Foundation, the outcomes from these summits are crucial.

Beyond the summits, the center's initiatives have included outreach in education, professional development, and creating an extensive online library for character education resources. A visit to the Bronx led to securing Jolleen Wagner as a speaker. Wagner will lead discussions on embedding character education within school culture, focusing on language specific to each grade level.

The summit’s conclusion will focus on developing action plans for schools, including timelines and budgets for implementing character education methods learned during the sessions. The results of these efforts have already shown positive developments. For instance, a third-grade teacher created classroom core values, while a high school teacher incorporated character education into their curriculum using online resources.

Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]