Here at Future Foundations we have spent the past 10 years delivering incredible programmes that inspire creativity, enterprise, self-confidence, risk taking, energy, motivation and leadership among young people. These are our core World of Work Skills and they sit at the heart of everything we do.
We are understandably excited to see that the government have recognized the immeasurable value of these traits and have identified ‘character education’ as a key theme in their manifesto and something the UK should become a world leader in providing students.
Schools and organisations that offer activities promoting character in pupils will see these programmes expanded through a new £3.5 million fund, designed to place character education on a par with academic learning for pupils across the country.
The Department of Education have launched the Character Award initiative, with a view to recognizing schools’ efforts in this area and offering support and funding to go even further. Awards of up to £20,000 will be given to successful applicants with prize money intended to be reinvested back into programmes that promote character, grit and resilience.
The Department of Education is looking for programmes which develop character traits, attributes and behaviours that underpin success in school and work, including:
perseverance, resilience and grit
confidence and optimism
motivation, drive and ambition
neighbourliness and community spirit
tolerance and respect
honesty, integrity and dignity
conscientiousness, curiosity and focus