Educators came together recently to attend workshops on several Bahamian islands to participate in the country's second annual Character Day Training Workshops.
The workshops, which took place on New Providence, Abaco and Grand Bahama, were geared toward informing educators about the importance of the development and improvement of character for both themselves and their students.
Character Day is an international project introduced four years ago by San Francisco-based film studio Let It Ripple. The PACE Foundation, the Bahamas AIDS Foundation, the Lyford Cay Foundation's FOCUS program, the Sandals Foundation, Commonwealth Bank and the FTBL Charitable Foundation all partnered to kick off this year's event.
Sonia Brown, the woman at the core of Character Day in The Bahamas, explained just how and why she introduced the initiative.
"When we became aware of Character Day, we thought, 'Well, why don't we bring this to everybody in The Bahamas, if we can, specifically focusing on students who are in school, because we have a captive audience'," explained Brown.
The workshop's coordinator, Charlene Carey, reminded the audience of their roles to bring out the best in their students.
"You have students that are sitting in your classrooms, that are sitting in your groups, that have these talents that they are sitting on, and we need to give them opportunities to shine," she said.
On the second day of the seminar, Dr. Niambi Hall-Campbell, one of the event's board members and an educator herself, reminded the teachers that Character Day is not only about molding students; it also serves as a way to reflect on themselves with self-care and mindful moments through taking deep breaths.
"If we can just start to take just 60 seconds to center ourselves and connect to the life force of our own breaths, it will really enhance us," she said.
Over the course of the seminar, educators took part in a number of activities, including a speed-networking exercise that gave participants the opportunity to become acquainted and connected. At the close of the workshops, teachers did not walk away empty handed. They received Character Day bags filled with wristbands, folders, treats and Character Day T-shirts.
On September 13, The Bahamas celebrated Character Day along with over 109 countries around the world. During that time, participating organizations and individuals highlighted the importance of the core character strengths: resilience, grit, empathy, courage and kindness. Workshop organizers said Character Day in The Bahamas will continue, and they have no doubt that the number of participants will continue to grow.
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