Three Houston campuses from Harmony Public Schools were named official “National Schools of Character” Tuesday for their outstanding efforts in promoting cultures of character in their schools and communities.

The awards were announced by Character.org, a national advocate and leader for character development in schools.

Each year, Character.org certifies schools and districts at the state and national level that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development, which the organization says has a positive effect on academic achievement, student behavior and school climate.

Only 50 campuses in the entire U.S. earned the honor. The Harmony campuses selected are:

Harmony School of Advancement-Houston

Harmony School of Endeavor-Houston

Harmony School of Excellence-Houston

Each also previously was named a State School of Character in January.

“We are tremendously proud of the effort these campuses are making each day to instill a culture of character in our schools,” Harmony CEO Fatih Ay said. “The work they’re doing will have a lasting impact in the lives of our students, as well as the communities in which they will someday help lead."

All three campuses are a part of Harmony's Houston North District, which encompasses 10 schools in North Houston, Cypress, North Katy and Bryan-College Station.

"I am honored that three of our North District campuses have been recognized as National Schools of Character through Character.org," Emin Cavusoglu, area superintendent of HPS Houston North, said. " This is a great accomplishment for our district. These campuses have worked diligently to set core values in place that promote a sense of community and pride in their school. They have truly come together to build relationships, promote family involvement and establish a culture with firm values."

Four other Harmony campuses have previously earned the honor, including two others from Houston. The award remains remains with a campus for five years after designation. Harmony's previous winners are:

Harmony Science Academy-Cedar Park

Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth

Harmony School of Innovation - Houston

Harmony School of Science-Houston

TEXAS-BORN, TEXAS-WIDE

Harmony Public Schools consists of seven regional districts serving families in 23 Texas communities:

CENTRAL TEXAS DISTRICT

Austin

Cedar Park

Pflugerville

NORTH TEXAS DISTRICT

Carrollton

Dallas

Euless

Fort Worth

Garland

Grand Prairie

Plano

Waco

HOUSTON NORTH DISTRICT

Bryan-College Station

Cypress

North Houston

HOUSTON SOUTH DISTRICT

South Houston

HOUSTON WEST DISTRICT

Beaumont

South Houston

Katy

Sugar Land

SOUTH TEXAS DISTRICT

Brownsville

Laredo

San Antonio

WEST TEXAS DISTRICT

El Paso

Lubbock

Odessa

NEW FOR 2022!

Harmony School of Excellence-Katy

Harmony School of Science-San Antonio

Each of these schools has put into place a comprehensive, multi-year approach to character education that inspires their students to understand, care about and consistently practice a set of core values that will enable them to flourish in school, in relationships, in the workplace, and as citizens. The schools then underwent a rigorous evaluation process to achieve their certification, documenting how they have implemented character education best practices and structures at each school.

Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-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 is now accepting applications for both students and team members for the 2022-23 school year.