Eighteen campuses from Harmony Public Schools were named official Texas “State Schools of Character” for their outstanding efforts in promoting cultures of character in their schools and communities.

The awards were announced Friday, January 26 by Character.org, a national advocate and leader for character development in schools. 

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. 

"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. "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."

The 18 Harmony campuses selected were:

• Harmony School of Enrichment-Houston
• Harmony School of Excellence-Dallas
• Harmony School of Excellence-El Paso
• Harmony School of Excellence-Sugar Land (Elementary)
• Harmony School of Innovation-Brownsville
• Harmony School of Innovation-Carrollton
• Harmony School of Innovation-El Paso (Elementary)
• Harmony School of Innovation-Waco
• Harmony School of Science- Austin
• Harmony School of Science-El Paso (Middle)
• Harmony School of Technology-Houston
• Harmony Science Academy-Carrollton
• Harmony Science Academy-Dallas (Elementary)
• Harmony Science Academy-Grand Prairie
• Harmony Science Academy-Lubbock
• Harmony Science Academy-Odessa
• Harmony Science Academy-Plano
• Harmony Science Academy-Waco

Twenty-two other Harmony campuses previously earned the honor, which remains with campuses for five years after designation. Nine of those campuses also won National School of Character honors. Those campuses were:

• Harmony School of Achievement-Houston
• Harmony School of Advancement – Houston*
• Harmony School of Excellence – Houston*
• Harmony School of Excellence-Laredo
• Harmony School of Exploration-Houston
• Harmony School of Fine Arts & Technology-Houston
• Harmony School of Innovation-Dallas
• Harmony School of Innovation – Garland
• Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land
• Harmony Science Academy – Dallas Middle
• Harmony Science Academy-Cedar Park*
• Harmony Science Academy-Pflugerville
• Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth*
• Harmony Science Academy-Garland
• Harmony School of Endeavor-Houston*
• Harmony School of Innovation - Houston*
• Harmony School of Science-Houston*
• Harmony School of Innovation-Katy
• Harmony School of Science-El Paso*
• Harmony Science Academy-Dallas High
• Harmony Science Academy-El Paso*
• Harmony Science Academy-Houston

*Both a State School of Character and National School of Character recipient

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.

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 is now accepting applications for both students and team members for the 2024-25 school year.