Character.org, the leading nonprofit organization supporting character education, has honored Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Freedom MS, and Liberty ES with Promising Practices awards. Nationally, only 246 schools were honored. In Georgia, these three CCSD schools were the only schools to receive this recognition.

To win the award, schools must demonstrate exemplary character development practices through a specific initiative such as a service-learning project, peer mentoring program, or other similar activity. Character.org will honor the 2020 Promising Practice recipients at its National Forum in Washington, D.C.

Each of these programs and initiatives have demonstrated significant impact and strongly align with the principles that help schools and organizations cultivate a culture of character, said Dr. Arthur Schwartz, president of Character.org.

Liberty ES, which previously has earned the organizations top honor of National School of Character and numerous Promising Practices awards, continues its legacy with two more awards, while this is the first Promising Practice award for Clark Creek ES STEM Academy and Freedom MS.

Clark Creek earned its honor for a three-year effort to cultivate a culture of caring through service-learning projects and the development of a tribe program that celebrates positive behavior.

Freedom MS won its first honor for the Freedom Compassion Council, a club that includes many former Liberty ES students who are continuing their passion for service-learning as middle school students. During the past school year, the Council created a unity tree display at the school and organized a school-wide collection drive to create necessity boxes for children in foster care who are supported by The Childrens Haven.

Liberty ES earned Promising Practices awards for two efforts: its Student Leadership Teams support of the Cherokee HS Cares Closet, which included collecting household items, toiletries, and snacks for students in need; and its PRIDE Value awareness and family engagement project.