Harmony School of Innovation - Houston has been named a National School of Character by Character.org, a nationwide education advocacy organization.

The rare honor, bestowed to roughly only 80 schools in the country and only eight campuses in Texas, recognized Harmony School of Innovation-Houston for its multi-year effort to build a sustainable culture of character for their students, staff members, and community members.

“Strong character is foundational to a strong education,” Harmony Public Schools CEO Fatih Ay said. “It informs how students approach and overcome challenges, how staff members work together as a team, and how our entire Harmony community collaborates to create the best school environment possible for our students.

“We are extremely proud of our schools for receiving the National School of Character designation and of all of our schools across the state who are working each day to make sure good character is at the core of their culture,” Ay said.

The schools and districts selected as a National School of Character must meet the rigorous standards articulated in Character.org’s character framework. Each school is evaluated by a team of trained educators and includes a site visit to assess how a school’s “shared values” are motivating students to do the right thing.

“These schools and school districts serve as an exemplary model for all schools and districts across the nation,” adds Lori Soifer, who directs the Schools of Character program. “The educators at these schools are inspiring their students to treat all people with respect and dignity. They are teaching their students to be honest and trustworthy, to contribute their time and talents to the common good, and when necessary, to show the courage to stand up for what is right.”

The campus was also named an official State School of Character by Character.org in January.

Along with Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth, HSI-Houston was one of two Harmony campuses to receive the honor, making it the only school system of any kind in Texas to have two National School of Character winners.

Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness.

Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year for both students and team members.