Malaika is committed to making positive contributions to the community, and to promoting a democratic way of life based upon justice, equality, respect for all people and opportunity to learn positive life skills that include self-management, interpersonal communication, mentoring, goal setting and effective conflict resolution.

Character education and Leadership Development Program

Malaika is committed to making positive contributions to the community, and to promoting a democratic way of life based upon justice, equality, and respect for all people through establishing in schools a Character Education and Leadership Development Program.
We define character education as the deliberate use of all dimensions of school life to foster optimal character development.
The goals of Character Education and Leadership Program are thus essentially the goals of raising good children: youth, who understand, care about, and act upon the core ethical values (such as diligence, compassion, integrity, and fairness) that make for a productive, just, and democratic society. As they grow in character, young people grow in their capacity and commitment to do their best work, do the right thing, and lead lives of purpose. Effective character education involves creating the kinds of classroom and school environments that enable all students, without exception, to realize their potential to achieve these vital goals.
The Character Education and Leadership Program (CELP) identified 11 broad principles as defining a comprehensive approach to character education:

  • Promote core ethical values as the basis of good character.
  • Define character comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.
  • Use a comprehensive, intentional, proactive, and effective approach.
  • Create a caring school community.
  • Provide students with opportunities to engage in moral action.
  • Provide a meaningful and challenging curriculum that helps all students to succeed.
  • Foster students’ intrinsic motivation to learn and to be good people.
  • Engage school staff as professionals in a learning and moral community.
  • Foster shared moral leadership and long-term support for character education.
  • Engage families and community members as partners in character education.
  • Evaluate the character of the school, its staff, and its students to inform the character education effort