Updates from the Educating Character Initiative Community
New character education initiative at Syracuse University focuses on fans
In the latest installment of our media partnership with LearningWell Magazine, a publication of the LearningWell Coalition, Syracuse University’s “Character Development and Sport Fan Engagement” project is highlighted for differentiating itself from most sports-driven character-building projects by focusing on the fans.
Can Intellectual Virtues Re-Energize Teaching?
In an opinion essay for Inside Higher Education, Senior Lecturer of Marine Conservation and Ethics at Duke University Rebecca Vidra—a 2025 ECI Teacher-Scholar Grant recipient—reflects on her work to redesign courses on environmental issues in ways that center the formation of intellectual virtues like curiosity, humility, and resilience.
Lessons from our 2025 Course Development and Redesign Workshop
In July, 52 faculty members from Wake Forest and beyond joined us for our “Character Across the Curriculum” workshop. The goal was to support educators who want to integrate leadership and character development into new and existing courses.
Educating Character Initiative announces $15.6M in new grants to 33 institutions
The 2025 Institutional Impact Grants will expand a growing movement to develop character across higher education.
Educating Character Initiative to expand its nationwide network promoting character education with $30M in new funding
The funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. adds $10 million to the Institutional Impact grants awarded by the ECI this year and provide $20 million to fund and support another round of grants to institutions in 2026.
Wake Forest’s Educating Character Initiative is building a network — and a movement in higher education: LearningWell
The first in a series of stories by LearningWell on the Educating Character Initiative and the efforts of our member institutions.
Dr. Glenn Sanders of King University Recognized as Nathan O. Hatch Leader of Character
The Nathan O. Hatch Leader of Character Award honors an outstanding leader in higher education who has shown exceptional commitment to educating character at their institution and beyond.
A Recap of our “Educating Character Across Differences” Conference
“I felt a real energy around the importance of character in higher education,” said Michael Lamb, our executive director. “We often talk about character, but this conference showed how educators are really seeking to develop character in their own contexts.”
Educating Character Initiative to grant an additional $10M to support character education across the U.S.
The funding comes from a new $12.4 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. which will also support coaching, resources, and workshops for faculty across the country.
Educating Character Initiative announces 2024 grants to individuals
We look forward to the ways in which the recipients’ work will deepen our collective understanding of character and expand capacity to educate character in specific contexts.
- New Staff Members Join Leadership and Character
- Dr. Beth Purvis to lead the Program’s new Educating Character Initiative
- “Educating Character Across the University” Conference Draws More than 200 To Wake Forest
- Wake Forest University Awarded $30M Lilly Endowment Inc. Grant to Build National Capacity for Character Education