What Does It Mean to Educate for Character? An Analysis of Grant Proposals in the United States

Recent years have seen the rise of a new “character education” movement within higher education, sparking both enthusiasm and skepticism. An assessment of the movement’s merits and prospects requires a clearer understanding of where intentional and explicit efforts to shape students’ character take place, how character educators understand this work, and what concrete outcomes they seek to realize. The authors investigated these questions by examining applications for grants that support character education initiatives at colleges and universities in the United States. Analyses revealed that character educators drew from diverse theoretical frameworks and traditions. A large proportion drew on Christian or Aristotelian traditions of thought, yet others framed their work around civil rights and social justice traditions, non‑Western perspectives, and social scientific research. Applicants showed particular interest in cultivating students’ justice, humility, compassion, and other character traits that are important for productive engagement across societal divisions.