July 2019: Ethics and college admissions, tips for teaching empathy, MCC in the news
Read the July update from Making Caring Common and don't forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter to get updates straight to your inbox.
In the News
Read our latest college admissions coverage, including our research on assessments of ethical character in college admissions. Plus more on emotional and ethical development in younger children.
Inter-American Development Bank: Are We Paying Attention to Children’s Emotional Development?
El País: Programas para enseñar a los niños a gestionar sus emociones
The Do Gooders Podcast: Five Strategies for Raising Kind Kids with Harvard's Dr. Rick Weissbourd
For more information and resources, check out our website, and be sure to follow Making Caring Common on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation online.
For Educators: 3 Tips for Teaching Empathy and Why It Matters
Try these 3 tips from our team:
1. Clearly explain that empathy means understanding and caring about another person's feelings and taking action to help. Explain how it improves the classroom and school community.
2. Stress the importance of noticing and having empathy for people beyond immediate friends and family, including those who are different or who are too often invisible.
3. Give examples of how to act on empathy, such as helping, showing kindness, or even simply listening.
Find the full resource on the Making Caring Common website.
For Families: 2 Ways to Help Expand Children's Circle of Concern
Try these 2 tips from our team:
1. Zoom in and out. Help children learn to "zoom in," tuning in carefully to others, and “zoom out,” taking in multiple perspectives. Try this:
Use stories from the news or popular media to start conversations with children about other people’s hardships and challenges
Talk about the different experiences of children in another country or community
2. Understand those who are different or struggling. Emphasize with your child the importance of really listening to others, especially those people who may seem unfamiliar or those they don’t immediately understand. Try this:
Encourage children to consider the feelings of those who may be vulnerable, such as a child experiencing some family trouble or a child who has fewer friends
Give children some simple ideas for taking action, like comforting or standing up for a classmate who was teased
Access the full resource on the Making Caring Common website.
Join us for the 6th Annual Character Day!
Join us for the sixth annual Character Day September 27-28, 2019!
Character Day is an annual global event that brings together millions of people in schools, companies, homes—anywhere people already gather—to engage in character development (empathy, grit, gratitude, social responsibility, leadership). Science proves these capacities lead not only to stronger school and career performance, but also to stronger, more engaged individuals and a more just world.
This year’s Character Day will focus on the big questions percolating around our tech-driven, always-online world, by asking: What is the relationship between character and technology use? How and when does technology enhance our character? How and when does turning off technology enhance our character? Character Day this year will be two days. The resources are available year-round.
Join us and sign up (your school, company, organization, etc) today!