Educators take part in the recent Character Day Training Workshop.
EDUCATORS came together to attend workshops on several Bahamian islands to participate in the country's second Character Day Training Workshop.
The event took place on New Providence, Abaco and Grand Bahama and was geared toward informing educators about the importance of the development and improvement of character for not only themselves, but also their students.
Character Day is an international project introduced four years ago by a San Francisco-based film studio, Let It Ripple. The PACE Foundation, Bahamas AIDS Foundation, Lyford Cay Foundations' FOCUS, Sandals Foundation, Commonwealth Bank and the FTBL Charitable Foundation all partnered to kick off this year's event.
Sonia Brown, the woman at the core of Character Day in the Bahamas, explained just how and why she introduced the initiative.
"When we became aware of Character Day, we thought, 'Well why don't we bring this to everybody in the Bahamas if we can, specifically focusing on students who are in school because we have a captive audience," Ms Brown said.
The workshop's co-ordinator, Charlene Carey, reminded the audience of the their roles to bring out the best in their students.
"You have students that are sitting in your classrooms, that are sitting in your groups, that have these talents that they are sitting on and we need to give them opportunities to shine," she said.
On the second day of the seminar, Dr Niambi Hall-Campbell, one of the event's board members and an educator herself, reminded the teachers that Character Day is not only about molding students, but also serves as a way to reflect on themselves with self-care and mindful moments through taking deep breaths.
"If we can just start to take just 60 seconds to centre ourselves and connect to the life force of our own breaths, it will really enhance us," she said.
Over the course of the seminar, educators took part in a number of activities including a speed-networking exercise that gave everyone the opportunity to become acquainted and connected. At the close of the workshops, teachers did not walk away empty handed. They received Character Day bags filled with wristbands, folders, a bag of treats and t-shirts.
On September 13, the Bahamas will celebrate Character Day along with over 109 countries around the world. During that time, participating organisations and persons will highlight the importance of core character strengths: resilience, grit, empathy, courage and kindness.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
When I first heard about Character Day, i wondered what foo foo nonsense are they doing now? (I'm often wrong)
Then it hit me, this is exactly what we've , certainly I've been saying that children need. Children no longer go to Sunday school where they're taught about love, joy, peace, long suffering , gentleness, meekness, faith. They're not taught to love their neighbour as themselves, to do unto others as you would have them do to you, not to steal, not to covet. The one lesson these children get is "do what you have to do to get ahead".
This Character Day initiative is exactly what our fatherless, growing up like weeds, children need. Great job Mrs Brown.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
Are schools supposed to instill "character" in children????? ...... Character training begins at birth ........ children come to school at 5 years old ........ Almost at the end of the formation of their basic social skills .......... Parents-to-be need to be given mandatory parental training before a child is brought into Bahamian (mostly) dysfunctional social environments.
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