Drawing from decades of research in school climate, character education, positive youth development, cognitive moral development, and social and emotional learning, this seminar presents ten framing thoughts that encourage the redesign of everyday school elements (e.g., assessments, discipline, relationships, priorities) to foster the holistic development of children. Instead of relying solely on extraordinary initiatives (like specific curricula or additional programs), this approach calls for comprehensive change led by school leaders.

To support this, we will introduce two upcoming programs that are designed to help develop the leadership needed for such a transformation: the PRIMED Institute and vLACE, both of which will soon be organized in South Africa. These programs aim to serve as catalysts for school redesign by building and nurturing local communities of practice among educational leaders, fostering effective character education and broader school improvement in diverse cultural contexts.