Four more schools from Harmony Public Schools Houston Districts have been named official Texas “State School(s) of Character” this week for its/their outstanding efforts in promoting cultures of character on campus and in the community.
Harmony School of Achievement, Harmony School of Exploration, Harmony School of Fine Arts & Technology, and Harmony Science Academy-Houston were awarded the distinction by Character.org, a national advocate and leader for school character development.
“During this journey of becoming a State School of Character, we have seen how positively this has affected our students, staff and school culture at Harmony School of Achievement. Respect and kindness towards everyone in our school are lived out daily and have been our guiding light for the past three years, as we have diligently strived to reach this goal. We are honored and humbled to be named a State School of Character and we look forward to the next journey of becoming a National School of Character,” said Vivan Pham, Harmony School of Achievement – Principal.
Each year, Character.org certifies schools and districts at the state level that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development, which the organization says has a positive effect on academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate.
Only 15 schools in Texas and 73 across the U.S. earned this honor. Harmony earned more State School of Character honors than any other U.S. school system.
“A culture of character infuses everything we do at Harmony,” Harmony CEO Fatih Ay said, “because we believe that with a strong character, our students will be able to take on whatever challenges and opportunities await them with integrity, determination, and empathy for those around them.”
13 other Harmony campuses previously earned the honor, which remains with campuses for five years after designation. Seven of those campuses also won National School of Character honors. Those campuses were:
Harmony School of Advancement – Houston*
Harmony School of Excellence – Houston*
Harmony School of Innovation – Garland
Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land
Harmony Science Academy – Dallas Middle
Harmony Science Academy-Cedar Park*
Harmony Science Academy-Pflugerville
Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth*
Harmony Science Academy-Garland
Harmony School of Endeavor-Houston*
Harmony School of Innovation – Houston*
Harmony School of Science-Houston*
Harmony School of Innovation-Katy
*Both a State School of Character and National School of Character recipient
Harmony School of Enrichment-Houston, Harmony School of Ingenuity-Houston, Harmony School of Technology-Houston, and Harmony Science Academy-Katy Elementary received “Honorable Mention” recognition, while Harmony School of Discovery-Houston, Harmony Science Academy-Cypress, Harmony Science Academy-Sugar Land were recognized as “Emerging” campuses. Both distinctions are generally considered precursors to future State School of Character designation.
Each of these schools has put into place a comprehensive, multi-year approach to character education that inspires their students to understand, care about and consistently practice a set of core values that will enable them to flourish in school, in relationships, in the workplace, and as citizens. The schools then underwent a rigorous evaluation process to achieve their certification, documenting how they have implemented character education best practices and structures at each school.
Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness.
Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year for students and team members.