If Christian character could be distilled down into a specific set of characteristics, they would be represented in the programs that we offer here. All of our programs are centered around morality as dictated by the Holy Bible. We are not ashamed that we are Christian, nor do we shy away from teaching our students the bible. Please see our tabs above under "What We Do" to see our Christianity incorporated on a day to day basis. We preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary we use words. Our service speaks volumes to our Christian beliefs.
Weekly, we gather our students for a bible study led by one of the members of our administration. We structure our lessons in an age according manner, and allow the children the opportunity to learn the other message.
The benefits of Christian morality are apparent, but some benefits of our Bible study are not so easily discerned. We allow our children to begin the process of thinking through life and its meaning. We believe that a child taught in the totality of differing views can make a better informed decision later on in life when their intellectual powers have developed into rationalized thinking. It has become increasingly difficult for our schools to propagate differing philosophies. Therefore, as a branch of the learning process, we combine with the schools to offer a holistic philosophy on life.
We are a voice for the next generation, and our words echo forth hope and love. We will not surrender our tune to the noise of the day.
Throughout time, societies have recognized the need to educate the coming generation of adults to pass on knowledge and skills. Recorded history from long before the present era emphasizes that education must also develop character.
At The Genesis Center, we believe that Godly instruction is the foundation of character. Every week, our students are invited to participate in our weekly bible study. Our students are introduced to The Bible through stories, activities, and active members of our community. It has been proven that Godly influence and principals greatly influence the successfulness of a child.
A study by sociologist John P. Bartkowski and a team of researchers at Mississippi State University examined data from the nationwide Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, which evaluated first-graders by interviewing parents and teachers. In the data Bartkowski used, some 9,500 parents and 8,800 teachers were interviewed. The ECLS study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
Examining the ECLS data, Bartkowski and his team concluded it is "quite clear" that religious attendance impacts children positively. The study concludes, "Religion does seem to be good for young children, and yields significant benefits for children's behavioral, emotional, and cognitive development." Regularity in attendance can make a difference, too. "In many of the developmental domains featured here, the children who are doing the best are in households where both parents attend worship services frequently," the authors wrote. The frequency of attendance may make a difference, the study says, because it gives other adults—for example, in Sunday School settings—the opportunity to "reinforce parental values" taught at home. John P. Bartkowski, Xiaohe Xu, and Martin L. Levin, “Religion and Child Development: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,” Social Science Research 37, No. 1 (March 2007): 18-36.
Within the character of the citizen lies the welfare of the nation.
— Cicero
What is character education?
Throughout history, character education has been the shared responsibility of parents, teachers and members of the community, who come together to support positive character development.
Character education teaches the habits of thought and deed that help people live and work together as families, friends, neighbors, communities and nations.
Character education is a learning process that enables students and adults in a school community to understand, care about and act on core ethical values such as respect, justice, civic virtue and citizenship, and responsibility for self and others. Upon such core values, we form the attitudes and actions that are the hallmark of safe, healthy and informed communities that serve as the foundation of our society. What is the school's role in character education?
Students spend much of their young lives in classrooms. This time in school is an opportunity to explain and reinforce the core values upon which character is formed.
...nothing is of more importance for the public weal, than to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue. — Benjamin Franklin
In school, character education must be approached comprehensively to include the emotional, intellectual and moral qualities of a person or group. It must offer multiple opportunities for students to learn about, discuss and enact positive social behaviors. Student leadership and involvement are essential for character education to become a part of a student's beliefs and actions.
To successfully implement character education, schools are encouraged to:- Take a leadership role to bring the staff, parents and students together to identify and define the elements of character they want to emphasize
- Provide training for staff on how to integrate character education into the life and culture of the school
- Form a vital partnership with parents and the community so that students hear a consistent message about character traits essential for success in school and life
- Provide opportunities for school leaders, teachers, parents and community partners to model exemplary character traits and social behaviors.
State education agencies, through a collaborative community process, have chosen to incorporate character education into their school improvement plans and state standards. Some states have chosen to implement character education through official state policies such as the Michigan State Board of Education Policy on Quality Character Education. Many schools have chosen to incorporate character education into their plans for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities.
From state to state, the following are common threads in character education agendas:
- Involvement of the whole community in designing and implementing character education for its schools
- Commitment to making character education an integral part of the education process.
Federal resources and support for character education
- Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/index.html
- Character Education and Civic Engagement Technical Assistance Center www.cetac.org
- What Works Clearinghouse—Character Education www.whatworks.ed.gov
- Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen View the booklet online at: www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/citizen/index.html Order by calling (877) 4ED-PUBS.
- Character Education-Our Shared Responsibility View the brochure online at: www.ed.gov/admins/lead/character/brochure.html Order by calling (877) 4ED-PUBS. Character education teaches the habits of thought and deed that help people live and work together as families, friends, neighbors, communities and nations.
- U. S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20202-6450 1-800-872-5327 www.ed.gov
