At the heart of the program, and student transformation, are the take-home lessons in The Power of Why. Students complete them through face-to-face conversations at home with their parents. 

The Power of Why -
Helping families discuss their core beliefs

The Power of Why helps open channels of communication between students and their parents about their family’s core beliefs regarding character and learning.

Instead of focusing on what students should do, or how they are to behave, The Power of Why helps students understand why character and learning are important. This is essential for social-emotional development.

The forty-five character topics include moral character, civic character, performance character, and intellectual character. This provides a foundation for students’ social-emotional learning.

While each grade addresses the same academic subjects, students apply the “Why” uniquely to what they are learning in at particular grade level.

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The 4 Steps for Discovering
the Power of Why

Step 1. 

Conversation - Student talks with family about foundational belief

CONVERSATION. Students need to talk with their parents about their families’ foundational beliefs related to an academic or character topic. This connects their life outside the classroom with their life inside the classroom. It will be different among students. And it will be personal and that’s what makes it meaningful.

 

Step 2.

Composition - Student writes a paragraph explaining belief

COMPOSITION. Students write about how their beliefs give meaning to the character or academic topic. The very act of writing it out helps them make the connection. It slows down the process of thinking. It incorporates the visual with the cognitive.

 

Step 3.

Discussion - Classroom Discussion

DISCUSSION. When students engage in classroom discussion about their answers, two things happen: (1) Verbally expressing their thoughts reinforces the connection between their beliefs and the character or academic topic; and (2) it helps them understand their peers.

 

 

Step 4.

Reflection - Student reflects on and writes about living up to beliefs

REFLECTION. Throughout the year, students need to reflect on, and write about, how well they are living up to the families’ beliefs related to the character topic or academic topics. This deepens the meaning-making for them. Getting to the Why is not just an assignment they complete and move on. It is an ongoing source of identity and motivation for them. If it is truly a foundational belief, they need to reflect how they are living it out in their lives over time.