PRIMED

Madrid, España

June 29-03, 2026

Instituto PRIMED | Universidad Villanueva

The PRIMED Institute is a five-day immersion experience in character education.

We invite leadership teams to spend a few days together, in a climate of trust, reflecting and discussing what can make their communities places where personal growth is promoted in a strategic and intentional way.

Speakers

The speakers of the Convening are Juan P. Dabdoub and Aitor R. Salaverría, co-directors of Become.

Juan P. Dabdoub is Professor at Universidad Villanueva, member of the Education, Citizenship and Character Group at the University of Navarra, Scholar Affiliate of the Center for Character and Citizenship and Secretary of the Association for Moral Education.

Aitor R. Salaverría is a member of the Education, Citizenship, and Character Group at the University of Navarra, where he researches how to promote character development in universities. He was in the direction of the Colegio Mayor Belagua for 10 years, 4 of them as director.

01

Knowing the fundamentals of effective character education

Guided by the PRIMED model, participants are introduced to a sound perspective for approaching the transformation of their schools. Throughout the sessions, they will explore and connect the principles that underlie effective character education with other leading frameworks in the field. Those who will lead this change need to understand the theory behind the practices they will later implement.

02

Build-up team relationships through experiential learning

Implementing a change of this magnitude, which directly affects the culture of the community, requires a united team eager to take on this ambitious challenge. During the Institute, attendees will have the opportunity to bond with their fellow team members, share many hours of conversation and enjoy a good time together.

03

Hacer un plan de acción for the next academic year

With the knowledge acquired through PRIMED and the other frameworks explored during the convening, participants are invited to draft an action plan for the next school year. Transformations of this kind require several years of sustained work, but the plan developed during these days can serve as a starting point for introducing a character-based perspective in the school. Throughout this process, participants are guided by the program facilitators.

Audience

Certification

The PRIMED model

The PRIMED model is an acronym for six design principles for school improvement that integrate 42 character education effective practices for schools identified in studies, reviews, and meta-analyses from the last quarter of a century. Efectivas significa que estas prácticas están respaldadas por estudios científicos, incluidas pruebas estadísticas de la significancia de su impacto en el desarrollo de las personas. Más que prácticas o estrategias específicas, estos principios son seis recordatorios de lo que debe considerarse a la hora de diseñar cada práctica y estrategia para promover efectivamente el desarrollo del carácter. Esta es una breve descripción de cada uno de ellos.

Prioritization

Visible and concrete prioritization of character development in all areas. Leaders should direct their efforts and resources in this direction holistically.

Relationships

Promoting caring relationships throughout the community for the sake of people and their learning, following the adage: "Kids don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care".

Intrinsic Motivation

Developing intrinsic motivation to do well, as opposed to external motivations such as rewards and punishments. It's not just about doing good, but also doing it for the right reasons.

Modeling

Everyone in the school, especially adults, should strive to be models of virtue, from which everyone can learn. Following Gandhi, it is about "being the change we want to see in the world".

Empowerment

Empower everyone in the community, hearing their voices and granting the autonomy that each one deserves to contribute to the common good by assuming leadership roles and responsibilities.

Developmental Pedagogy

And finally, a developmental pedagogy that integrates long-term character-related goals such as social-emotional competencies or moral reasoning into the curriculum.

For more information:

Redesigning schools for effective character education through leadership:
The case of PRIMED Institute and vLACE

Dabdoub, J. P., Salgado, D., Bernal, A., Berkowitz, M. W., & Salaverría, A. R. (2023). Redesigning schools for effective character education through leadership: The case of PRIMED Institute and vLACE. Journal of Moral Education, 53(3), 558–574. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2023.2254510

Character Education Formation Program as an Epiphany and Transformational Experience for Educational Principals

Salgado, D., Bernal, A., Dabdoub, J. P., Berkowitz, M. W., & Bier, M. C. (2025). Character Education Formation Program as an Epiphany and Transformational Experience for Educational Principals in México. Research in Human Development, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2025.2524298

Creating cultures for character development: A Theory of change supported by vLACE, a scalable blended program

Dabdoub, J. P., Salaverría, A. R., Álvarez-Kafati, M. C., & Berkowitz, M. W. (Under review). Creating cultures for character development: A Theory of change supported by vLACE, a scalable blended program. Journal of Moral Education

Event Information

Event Type: PRIMED Institute

Duration: From Monday to Friday, 9h to 17h

Place: Universidad Villanueva, C/ de la Costa Brava, 6, Fuencarral-El Pardo, 28034 Madrid

Price: Evento cerrado

Host:

Universidad Villanueva & Become

Reserva Plaza Learn More