Cornerstone School's Biography of Wisdom

Character.org recognized Cornerstone Middle/High School's “Biography of Wisdom” initiative as a 2019 Promising Practice. This recognition is given to schools who have implemented unique, specific, and effective character development strategies.

As a result of hearing Dr. Thomas Lickona speak at one of the first Hope Leadership Academy sessions, Cornerstone was inspired to design an initiative for their senior students to bring life to Character.org’s 10th Principle of Effective Character: The school engages families and community members as partners in the character-building effort.

As the school’s team heard Dr. Lickona emphasize the opportunity to build character through generational wisdom, an idea came to life. Senior students at Cornerstone would each interview a senior citizen who had made an impact in their life and complete a writing assignment, a biography, on that special person.

As the centerpiece of their interview and assignment, the student asks the senior citizen to “identify the greatest lesson they have learned in their life as well as advice they would like to give to this generation.” Not only does the school print each piece of advice on the graduation program, they also ask each senior citizen to stand when the student who conducted their interview receives their diploma while reading their advice aloud to the entire graduating class and audience.

Chief Academic Officer Cas McWaters describes the impact of this Biography of Wisdom culminating moment on the graduation ceremony, “This practice changed the atmosphere of our graduation ceremony from a graduate/school recognition to a family honoring occasion. The feedback from the parents and staff was amazing. The ceremony felt like a family occasion.”

McWaters shares that the importance of this practice is for students to “see what is really important and constant throughout generations. This reinforcement strengthens our students' commitment to character development.” The Biography of Wisdom portion of the graduation ceremony may be each student’s final step in their character journey while at Cornerstone, and it sends them off to their next steps in life with the importance of maintaining a culture of character beyond K-12 school walls.

The Hope Institute is thrilled to remain partnered with Cornerstone Schools as their character journey continues.

Click here to read more about Cornerstone Middle/High School’s Biography of Wisdom.