CHARACTER
KIPP’s longstanding motto – “Work hard. Be nice.” – isn’t just a tagline. Since KIPP’s beginning in 1994, the development of character has been as important to us as the teaching of rigorous academics.
Together, they are the yin-yang that make our schools come alive. We believe both are critical to the success of our students in college and in life.
ABOUT KIPP’S CHARACTER WORK
KIPP offers teachers, kids, and parents a structured, meaningful way to talk about and develop character. Our approach is rooted in the research of Dr. Martin Seligman (University of Pennsylvania) and Dr. Chris Peterson (University of Michigan) that identifies 24 character strengths as leading to engaged, meaningful, and purposeful lives. At KIPP, explicitly creating opportunities to develop character is infused throughout the school day.
FOCUSING ON 7 STRENGTHS
Building off of a research partnership between KIPP NYC and Dr. Angela Duckworth (University of Pennsylvania), KIPP is now especially focused on seven highly predictive strengths: zest, grit, self-control, optimism, gratitude, social intelligence, and curiosity. We’ve integrated our own experiences as teachers with the research of Seligman, Peterson, and Duckworth to create a road map for the development of each strength. For example, to help teachers, kids, and parents develop grit we ask them to reflect on whether they try very hard after experiencing failure.
KIPP schools around the country are now focused on how we can integrate a more structured and measurable approach to character development.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
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Describe your image.
Grit is perseverance and passion for long-term goals.
Zest, sometimes referred to as vitality, is an approach to life filled with excitement and energy.
Social intelligence refers to awareness of other people’s motives and feelings as well as using this understanding to navigate social situations appropriately.
Self-control is the capacity to regulate thoughts, feelings, or behaviors when they conflict with valued goals.
Curiosity is the search for information for its own sake. Active open-mindedness means exploring a wide range of relevant information when trying to draw a conclusion, including information that challenges our own initial assumptions.
Optimism is the expectation that the future holds positive possibilities and the confidence that, with effort, these possibilities become likelihoods.
Gratitude refers to appreciation for the benefits we receive from others and the desire to reciprocate with our own positive actions.