World Character Day: Participation Ideas

Suggested theme: “We are the World”
Promote collaborating respectfully with cultures/races unlike our own through kindness and sensitivity
Collaborate and join forces between schools, school districts and communities for joint WCD activities
Involve students as much as possible in planning and celebrating WCD – over the summer?

Poster contest(s) – prizes from businesses; not too many contests as we want lots of entries; not too spread out; winners on billboard; have winner from each trait. Get billboard that changes each month with the winning poster.
Have an essay contest for high school students with a scholarship award for the winner.
Create a Character Challenge
Video contest in June (current 10th & 11th graders) to use to introduce PACE to incoming 9th graders in September. Prizes arranged by PACE would be great!
Contests for kids – essays, videos, posters – something at different levels; pay it forward info
Character “Jeopardy” with character traits as answers
Random acts of Kindness Challenge
School‐wide Character Survivor Challenges would be scenarios that test student’s character

NOTE: PACE is planning to hold WCD Poster and Video contests (with sponsorship support)

Video of young learners showing, telling and acting out Respect!
Video dialogue
At elementary level, use our student leadership to create a WCD video linking the traits to our school‐ wide system. Video presented @ lunch, class or assembly
5th graders make video for each trait. Show at Back to School Nights or Curriculum Nights
You Tube video – What does character mean to you? Music video.
ASB officers make a character profile video. Officers share in a video an influential person (related to character) in a video presentation at an assembly or in a shared folder for classes to watch.
Students make one minute multi‐media PSAs for each trait; save and share during that month’s trait
Have kids create a video and show it to the school

Learning the word RESPECT in other languages
For WCD, have students learn how other countries show respect to each other; handshake, bow (China), kiss on cheek (France), etc.
Pen pals with same age students across globe or across US to start; sharing how they demonstrate character; have conversations with people
Tie in with English as a Second Language (ESL) programs
Play games from around the world in PE classes emphasizing character traits as you play
Pair with a school district in another country and have video‐conferencing around character
The opportunity to stream other events around the world to give students a deeper connection of what it looks like.
Some way for schools or classrooms to make global video pen pals for a day with classrooms located outside of WA or US – maybe ESL classrooms
Opportunity for students to be part of WCD world Q&A

Challenge to post positive things on social media with that month’s hashtag (eg: #Respect)
Instagram posts with hashtags
Make the connection to digital citizenship
Find and feature stories of people who have made a decision to CHANGE their character. Maybe, for example, someone who was involved in crime and has reformed. At the school level, stories of kids who have decided to learn new character habits.
Increase school/district involvement in positive recognition of PACE students on website, social media, TV, etc.
Use PACE‐produced materials from students for website pics, publications
Send in your pictures to post on a digital site that continues through the day (Sept. 13)
Follow up news about PACE Awards alumni students

NOTE: Official WCD hashtag is #PACECharacterDay

Get parent organizations involved
Parent training about incorporating character into homes/connect with school activities
Student parade in conjunction with Back to School night – kids make posters, signs about positive character and “march” through the school
Involve parents in PACE and on WCD
5K Family/Community walk with donors
Tie in parent engagement activity

April's Trait of the Month is Trustworthiness