By Mark Tallman

In Spring 2023, Beloit Junior/Senior High School in Beloit USD 273 was selected as one of 73 state Schools of Character, by Character.org, a national advocate and leader for character development in schools and communities. Beloit High was then further honored among the 38 for national recognition for the second time in five years.

Earning the 2023 state and national school of character designation is not the first such honor for Beloit USD 273. Beloit Junior/Senior High School won the same honor in 2018 for what is really a five-year certification after being designated a Kansas emerging school of character in 2016. Last year, Beloit Elementary School was named a state and national school of character.

Beloit district leaders credit their character education efforts in helping achieve significantly higher than expected graduation rates and student postsecondary success.

Beloit High uses a combination of the “Medal of Honor” and “Renaissance” programs with many locally developed aspects for character education. The acronym PRIDE, and its core values, Positive, Responsible, Integrity, Determination and Excellence, are ubiquitous throughout the school, from posters and other media to the school’s mascot. When visiting, you can’t escape Trojan Pride.

This includes an advisory period called PRIDE time every day, which allows students to focus on Habits of the Week, Character Trait of the Month, social-emotional and character development skill lessons, service learning, and the opportunity to consult with advisors and teachers. Students remain part of the same PRIDE group all six years of junior and senior high school to build relationships.

PRIDE time also supports Beloit’s 23-year-old requirement to complete 40 hours of service learning or 10 hours of volunteer time per year to graduate. Beginning as Freshmen, students are advised on a list of approved activities (which can’t involve payment or working for one’s family).

In addition, the school holds an annual service-learning day for teachers and students.

“In the morning we teach life skills,” said BJSHS principal Casey Seyfert. “Each teacher can pick any life skill that they want to teach. Last year, we had some teaching about how to bake, lawn mower maintenance, and how to change your oil. Kids pick three sessions that are 30 minutes long. Then in the afternoon students choose a community improvement project, which our teachers set up. We’ve had students go the lake and stain picnic tables. We’ve set up a community Christmas display. Kids has washed windows and set up small decorations.”

Seyfert says the school also has a character education committee with student representatives. “We’re always asking, what do you guys want? What do you think would be beneficial? Because our kids really know when they're making good choices. They don’t always make good choices, no one does. But we want to support them in making the right choices.”

District leaders say these efforts, including a strong student voice, have made a dramatic difference in the school’s culture, reducing behavioral problems, improving academic achievement and leading to more postsecondary success, because students are better prepared for life after high school.

“When people walk in here, we want you to be able to see the culture, and that's part of becoming a national school character,” said Seyfert. “Part of it comes from that student voice, students get to have input and say what they want to learn about this. We have a culture that encompasses post-secondary, and academics, and the arts and athletics, and it encompasses your character. To me, the culture here is we want to be the best at every single thing we're part of. Whatever we're gonna do, we want to win. And winning just means do our very best.”

KASB has featured all three Kansas districts honored through the Kansas State Schools of Character Recognition Program.  The program is sponsored by Character.org, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Smoky Hill Education Service Center. Click here to read more  about the history of character education in Kansas public schools and the other districts recognized in 2023.