Our History

I am often asked why I started the Character Connection. That story is now over a decade long but this is the core of it:

I was lucky enough to begin my training at a small non-profit with a big heart called Friends of Nick. Under the mentorship of its founder I was one of the first teachers to pilot the idea of incorporating intentional character language in my middle school classroom.

The results were outstanding!

Not only did I see my students flourish but I became a better teacher by having the tools to reach students who were told over and over again they were unreachable. The process was so simple:

Honor your experience, be your best, share your wisdom.

That formula applied to students, teachers, principals, and parents. Character was the teacher and we were all learning from each other. The changes were so profound that it became my mission to share these methods with any educator who would listen.

Embracing and implementing character education is actually the result of my character education story. You can read the full story here.

And now with two very successful years under our belt, The Character Connection strives to honor that formula every day by giving students, teachers and parents the tools to be their best from the inside, out. We are growing stronger with every classroom we partner with and I know we have a bright future ahead.

Thanks for visiting!

Justin Rivers

Founder & Interim Executive Director