Carmel Elementary Wins International Character Award

A Woodstock elementary school is being recognized at the international level for its focus on developing character.

Carmel Elementary School has been awarded an international 2014 Promising Practices in Character Education Award by the Character Education Partnership (CEP). 

The school is one of only 315 winners, which include about 203 public schools, as well as school systems, charter schools, private schools and youth-serving organizations, to be selected for the recognition, which showcases innovative best practices that are having an impact across the nation and abroad, the Cherokee County School District said in a news release. 

Carmel Elementary School was honored for its program, It Starts with a Seed: Kindergartens Feed a Community.

The initiative is part of a school-wide focus on service-learning projects to teach character education that is headed up by Assistant Principal Dr. Pam Green, with each grade and each club selecting annual projects. 

The kindergarteners chose a community garden project, which was organized by kindergarten teacher Amanda Owen.  

Through the project, each kindergarten student grew a vegetable plant from seeds using soil and seeds donated by business partner, The Home Depot. The plants then were added to a community garden plot by members of Hillside United Methodist Church, another school partner.  The harvested vegetables are distributed to local families in need. 

“These great ideas offer educators and others working with young people practical ways to develop empathy, conflict resolution skills, and good citizenship. Quite often, these practices involve not only students, but parents and the larger community,” said Dr. Dave Keller, Program Director. “CEP is excited to be able to recognize these wonderful educators and share their work with others around the world.” 

CEP will honor the 2014 recipients including Carmel at the 21st National Forum on Character Education, to be held in Washington, D.C., Oct. 30 - Nov. 2. 

Carmel Elementary School this past school year also was one of only 29 schools/school systems recognized by CEP as a 2013 National School of Character.