Paula Mirk, Director of Education at IGE, says, "The Ethical Fitness® approach provides administrators, faculty, staff and students with the skills to navigate tough choices. But we realize now that our schools need more. Schools and school systems need a way to develop a culture that supports and nurtures the practice of ethical decision making and provides an environment where educators feel it is their duty to graduate kids that are both smart and good."

 

According to Mirk, "This new training program is designed to empower on-the-ground public school personnel by building ethical awareness, defining common ethical values, and exploring the conditions that need to be in place in schools to build cultures of trust."  This new offering blends the components of IGE's Ethical Fitness® Seminar with findings from the 2007 report, published jointly by IGE and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which presents ten key findings on teaching integrity. The findings outlined in, "Tell Me What You Really Think: A Report on the Schools of Integrity Project," are behavioral observations that highlight effective steps schools can take to promote character and integrity. The study presents a host of replicable practices that can help improve the ethical culture of any school.

 

IGE Executive Director Graham Phaup says, "We're constantly seeking ways to provide affordable opportunities to schools and school systems. Building School Cultures is a great way for everyone to get on the same page about why ethics matters in our schools and for our young people. We hope Building School Cultures will help some schools toward our long-term, customized work at balancing academics and ethics, the Ethical Literacy® Initiative."

 

Mirk explains, "Personnel are trained over a period of two and a quarter days, providing them with the skills and knowledge to deliver a full-day Building School Culture™ workshop or customized content that will best meet the needs of their school system." Training sessions will be held in early March and run through May in the following metropolitan areas: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Omaha, Rockland (ME), Seattle, and Southern Florida. Details about the training are available online at IGE's Web site, or by clicking here.

The Institute for Global Ethics is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethical behavior in individuals, institutions, and nations through research, public discourse, and practical action.  Clients include corporations, government entities, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations in the United States and abroad.   
 

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