The Kern’s were fond of the phrase, “Grow where you’re planted.” Reflecting on the wisdom of this sentiment in our increasingly interconnected world, we aim to study:  the intersections between place and character education programs.  What might happen if place-based character education intentionally harnessed the spoken and the unspoken values associated with a person’s home community?

PBE, not to be confused with Project-Based Learning (PBL), offers a community-focused approach with an emphasis on the storytelling behind the projects, values, and practices. While educators understand the need to prepare the whole student for their future, many are struggling to work character into their context. We wonder if a placed-based approach to character may erect essential bridges between the present and the future, the student and work, the school and the community.

Please join us if you want to know more about how to incorporate place into your approach to character education.

Questions to be addressed:

• How do we help educators understand PBE and its inherent connection to character development?
• How do we help teachers organize PBE projects that intentionally illuminate local beliefs, values, and characteristics that define a sense of community pride and identity?
• How does PBE address character education and collaborative inquiry?
• What might these PBE projects look like, and how do we reframe character education to acknowledge and support this type of an approach?