Character Education Leadership Program for Mexican Public Schools
TWCF Project Number: 0510
Project Duration: May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2023
The Center for Character and Citizenship collaborated with Panamerican University in Mexico and the University of Navarra in Spain to develop and implement a leadership program designed to support character education in Mexican public schools. This international partnership brought together researchers and educators committed to helping school leaders cultivate strong, ethical school communities.
The project focused on designing a scalable leadership development program that would help school leaders integrate character education into their schools. To do this, the team adapted and combined three research-based models developed at the Center for Character and Citizenship:
- vLACE (Video-based Leadership Academy in Character Education)
- PRIMED, a framework for implementing effective character education
- CViL (Cultivating Virtue in Leaders)
The program was grounded in the principles of servant leadership, which emphasizes that effective leaders serve their communities. Through this approach, participating school leaders explored and practiced key virtues such as humility, courage, gratitude, compassion, empowerment, stewardship, and foresight.
Leadership teams from five public schools in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, participated in the program. The experience began with a week-long workshop focused on the foundations of character education and leadership. Over the following months, participants continued their learning through monthly sessions, guided reflections, and collaborative discussions with expert feedback.
As part of the program, each leadership team designed and implemented a character education initiative in their school, supported by a small grant to help bring their plans to life. These initiatives allowed school leaders to apply what they had learned and develop approaches tailored to the needs of their communities.
The project concluded with a National Forum on Character Education in Guadalajara, where educators, researchers, and policy leaders gathered to discuss the project’s results and explore opportunities to expand character education efforts in Mexico.
Ongoing Collaboration
This project strengthened the collaboration between the Center for Character and Citizenship, Panamerican University, and the University of Navarra. The lessons learned continue to inform ongoing research and professional development efforts focused on supporting school leaders and advancing character education in Latin America.
Resources
Learn more about the project and related materials:
- Templeton World Charity Foundation project page
- Videos developed through the initiative
Publications and research reports from the project
Berkowitz, M. W., M. C. Bier, and J. P. Dabdoub. 2024. PRIMED for Character Education Across the Globe. In Handbook of Moral and Character Education, edited by L. Nucci, T. Krettenauer, and W. C. Thompson, 234–245. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003374077-16
Dabdoub, J. P., Salgado, D., Bernal, A., Berkowitz, M. W., & Salaverría, A. R. (2024). 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
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, 22(1), 23–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2025.2524298