North Kirkwood Middle School earns 2026 state and national character honor

"At NKMS, we deeply believe in the power of character formation," said Jordan Hohm, assistant principal at North Kirkwood Middle School. "We work hard to make sure everything we do builds strong character, creates opportunities for deep and meaningful learning, and promotes the idea that every person in our school community has a role in making our school a phenomenal place to be. It's been really cool to see students be so involved in each step of this process. They've brainstormed and captured evidence, written parts of the application, and participated in the interview. NKMS teachers and staff are truly inspiring in the big and small ways they empower their students to be people of character. We're excited to celebrate being recognized as a State and National School of Character!"

"Schools of Character show us what is possible when a school community commits to intentionally building a culture where students learn not only academic skills, but also empathy, curiosity, civic responsibility, and perseverance," said Nicole Diehl, executive director of Schools of Character. "The schools recognized this year represent diverse communities, grade levels, and educational approaches. Recognition as a State or National School of Character reflects years of thoughtful work by educators, students, and families to ensure that character is lived and practiced every day."

The State School of Character designation recognizes schools that are demonstrating strong implementation of the 11 Principles and building a culture where students learn to lead with integrity, responsibility, and respect. This year, 27 schools and three districts have been recognized as State Schools and Districts of Character.

Schools recognized as National Schools of Character have demonstrated a deep and sustained commitment to the 11 Principles and serve as models of excellence for schools across the country and around the world. These schools illustrate how character development can be fully integrated into academics, relationships, leadership, and community engagement, and they often mentor other schools seeking to strengthen their own character initiatives. This year, 72 schools and one district, including nine international schools, have been recognized as National Schools and Districts of Character.

The full list of 2026 State and National Schools and Districts of Character is available at https://character.org/

The State Schools of Character program in Missouri is managed locally by CharacterPlus. CharacterPlus, located in St. Louis, is a partnership-based nonprofit organization committed to equipping school stakeholders with the evidence-based resources they need to provide high-quality character education. Through CharacterPlus, schools receive professional development and coaching in effective character education for school transformation. The 11 Principles of Character Education and State Schools of Character are trademarks of Character.org in Washington, DC. Character.org and CharacterPlus have been partners in character education since 1993.