CEEL (1-Copy) — Center for Character & Citizenship

**CEEL℠** stands for the servant leadership-oriented Character Education for Educational Leaders Academy. The program grew out of a desire to nurture and empower assistant principals in Greater Saint Louis and develop a pipeline of school administrators who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to implement a comprehensive character education program in their schools.

What is CEEL?

CEEL is a multi-layered professional development program that is a blend of the Center for Character and Citizenship (CCC) flagship program, the Leadership Academy in Character Education program, LACE®, and a servant leadership framework. Over 12 months, a cohort of school administrators are engaged in an array of interactive, skill-building workshops that focus on ways to cultivate servant leadership virtues, including courage, forgiveness and gratitude. Additionally, program participants complete assignments that provide the building blocks for a character education implementation plan.

CEEL is made possible through a grant from The Kern Family Foundation (KFF) awarded to the Center for Character and Citizenship. “This grant will extend our long-time goal of ensuring the next generation of school leaders prioritizes student character as they step into administrative roles,” said Marvin W. Berkowitz, the Center for Character and Citizenship co-director and grant co-investigator. “Together, we have the opportunity to create schools that foster a holistic approach and offer children a comprehensive education that values their character as much as their academics,” added Melinda Bier, the associate director of the center and grant co-investigator.

““It is the hope of the KFF that this grant will have a long-term positive effect on student outcomes and that the center’s work will become a model for colleges of education across the country,”
Beth Purvis, Kern Family Foundation Senior Program Director”

What happens during the academy?

CEEL workshop with guest speaker, Dick Pieper

CEEL Academy workshops are led by CCC staff and an invited expert in character education with a different expert for each session.

CEEL incorporates a mix of reflections on the servant leadership virtues of the CCC’s CViL program with aspects of the CCC’s longstanding leadership for character education program.

The workshops are participatory and include a variety of individual and team activities.