As a leading institution in character education, Samford University's Orlean Beeson School of Education continues to focus on character and virtues development throughout every degree program and among the faculty and staff.

In partnership with personnel from the Hope Institute, faculty members and students host and participate in numerous events, training, and projects designed to create school cultures and communities of character. Kara Chism, assistant professor of educational leadership, and the late Jodi Newton, professor of educational leadership, have long been at the forefront of these efforts. Still, new leaders among Orlean Beeson faculty and staff are emerging as well.

"In some ways, it is almost impossible to separate the work of Samford's School of Education and the Hope Institute," Chism said. "Many people come to the Hope Leadership Academy on campus and decide they would love to be involved in one of our graduate programs. In turn, our graduate students learn of the Hope Leadership Academy in our classes and want to involve their schools or districts. It is a win-win for all parties involved."

In June 2022, Orlean Beeson School of Education co-sponsored the third annual and first in-person Higher Education Character Convening in partnership with Lipscomb University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The Hope Institute, the Kern Family Foundation, and Character.org supported the event. Representatives from 18 institutions from across the United States attended. Participants learned from and participated in discussions about developing core values and virtues, assessing character and virtue, and innovating the curriculum for character education.

Also, this summer, Orlean Beeson School of Education jointly presented the third annual P-12 Culture of Character Summit with the Hope Institute. Approximately 130 P-12 and university leaders gathered to learn about character-based research and best practices for creating a culture of character in schools. Orlean Beeson School of Education and the University of Alabama will partner to deliver the 4th annual Higher Education Character Convening and P-12 Character Summit in the fall of 2023 at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

To further inspire others and share stories of character with a broader audience, Jennifer Hogan, a doctoral candidate at Orlean Beeson School of Education, created the Communities of Character podcast. The podcast's first season focused on the "11 Principles Framework" from Character.org. It included interviews with Alabama school leaders who use the framework to guide character development work in their schools. Several participants were principals from schools recognized as National Schools of Character, such as Earon Sheats at Hartselle Intermediate School, Wayne Richardson, the former principal of Deer Valley School, and John Lowry, the former principal of Shades Cahaba Elementary School.

"Sharing the stories of these leaders and the cultures of character that they have led or currently lead in their schools is special because their stories inspire and teach others, and these ethical leaders who model character provide hope for our future generations," Hogan explained.

In future seasons, the podcast will include stories not only from educators but from other leaders in the field of character education.

Orlean Beeson School of Education and the Hope Institute partnered to launch two new character initiatives this fall. First, they selected ten Hope Fellows for esteemed educators who are passionate about character development. These individuals will advocate, lead and inspire others to cultivate communities of character in educational settings.

Second, they established a scholarship structure for students to complete the Master of Education in Instructional Leadership program through Orlean Beeson School of Education. Local school administrators selected promising educators who are leaders of character to participate in a new M.S.E. Character Leadership Cohort in which every graduate course is infused with character development topics, and three courses are dedicated solely to character education.

"This is an exciting opportunity to build leaders of character in school systems around our state," Chism said. "Our vision is for Orlean Beeson School of Education and the Hope Institute to continue working side-by-side in growing leaders of character."