Harmony Science Academy Odessa has been named an official Texas “State School of Character” this week for its outstanding efforts in promoting cultures of character on campus and in the community, a Friday news release said.
Harmony Science Academy Odessa, along with four other campuses from Harmony Public Schools West Texas District were awarded the distinction by Character.org, a national advocate and leader for school character development.
“At Harmony, we are committed to helping mold not just a generation of great scholars, but also a generation of great citizens and future community leaders,” Harmony CEO Fatih Ay said in the release.
“That’s why character education is invaluable to the academic process at Harmony. By embedding values like respect, teamwork, leadership, and empathy into our rigorous academic curriculum, we give our students the full set of tools they’ll need to take on whatever challenges or opportunities that await them.”
Each year, Character.org certifies schools and districts at the state level that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development, which the organization says has a positive effect on academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate.
Two other Harmony Public Schools West Texas District campuses previously earned the honor, which remains with campuses for five years after designation. Both campuses also won National School of Character honors. Those campuses were:
This year a total of eighteen campuses from Harmony Public Schools received this honor. Each of these schools has put into place a comprehensive, multi-year approach to character education that inspires their students to understand, care about, and consistently practice a set of core values that will enable them to flourish in school, in relationships, in the workplace, and as citizens. The schools then underwent a rigorous evaluation process to achieve their certification, documenting how they have implemented character education best practices and structures at each school, the release said.
Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, San Antonio, Greater Austin, El Paso, Laredo, Waco, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Bryan-College Station, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness. Harmony Public Schools West Texas has 8 campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students.
Harmony is now accepting applications for both students and team members for the 2024-25 school year.
