At Truman Middle School, behavior challenges, attendance issues, and academic struggles were creating a difficult environment for students and staff. Before CharacterStrong, fights and conflicts were a frequent part of the school day, and students often felt disconnected from their peers and community.
After implementing CharacterStrong with fidelity, the results were clear:
Significant improvement in school climate, with students demonstrating greater empathy and respect for one another
Targeted social-emotional lessons, including conflict resolution and belonging-focused circles, helping students share thoughts and feelings safely
A stronger sense of community extending beyond the school into families and neighborhoods
One staff member reflected on the impact: "This curriculum gave them an opportunity to talk with each other and share. I was in a circle with one of our sharpest students, she's a 4.0 student and ASB president—and she shared that sometimes she feels like she can never make her parents happy enough. You could see other students empathizing with her and each other. All of them are going through stuff, and they get to share it instead of just holding it in."
With over 30,000 students in the district now experiencing CharacterStrong, the program is helping restore the kind of school culture where teachers can teach and students can learn. By addressing social-emotional needs alongside academics, Truman Middle School is creating safer classrooms, healthier relationships, and meaningful skill-building for life.
Across the school, staff have noticed students showing greater empathy, improved conflict resolution skills, and a stronger sense of belonging. Families have shared that students are coming home talking about what they learned in circles and applying those lessons in their daily lives. This kind of consistent, school-wide engagement is helping Truman build a community where every student feels seen, supported, and prepared to succeed, not just in school, but beyond it.
See the full Truman story and explore what’s possible in our case study below.