Feb 28 6:11 AM

Character Education & Leadership Development Curriculum: CharacterLeads®

Feb 28 6:11 AM
Feb 28 6:11 AM

Did you know all but 6 states in the US either mandate or strongly encourage that schools teach character to kids? Of course here at KiDs Beach Club®, we've been doing exactly that for nearly 20 years...but only in an after-school setting. A couple years ago KBC Corporate's home state of Texas joined other states to mandate character educadtion in schools.

...and the idea for CharacterLeads® was born!

In the coming months, you'll be hearing more about CharacterLeads®, but for now, we want to give you a quick overview by answering a few general questions. 

What exactly is CharacterLeads®?

CharacterLeads® is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, fully downloadable character education curriculum. Developed by two PhD's, one with a PhD in Leadership and one with a PhD in Education, CharacterLeads® starts with the end in mind: transformational adult leaders. It then works backward to identify the character qualities children need to develop in order to become effective leaders as adults. 

Is the CharacterLeads®curriculum religious in nature?

CharacterLeads® is not religious curriculum. It was written specifically to meet the character education standards for public schools. The curriculum does use the same character words and definitions that KBC has used in our Beach Clubs®, and it uses elements of character discussion from KiDs Beach Club® TV. However, all religious elements have been removed so that it focuses solely on character development.

My company does match-donations, but they won't do it for religious organizations. Do you think this might qualify?

Every organization's standards are different, but we've already had donors who have successfully designated gifts toward CharacterLeads® with a qualified match donation. This program was not inexpensive to develop, and we welcome any additional donations that are designated for CharacterLeads®, especially if they are matched!

If you have any questions or need additional documentation, simply click the orange CONTACT ME button below, and one of our team members will reach out to you right away! 

CONTACT ME! 

I'm an educator in the public schools.
How do I bring  CharacterLeads® to my school / district?

The first thing to do is to check out CharacterLeads.com. The curriculum consists of a full year of character education curriculum. There are 18 character units, with each unit recommended to be taught over the course of 2 weeks. While there, you can see a sample unit, along with some additional resources to build character. Each page has an option to click-through to discover the pricing options available. The entire curriculum is downloadable and comes with a one-year subscription access. 

Public Schools & Districts

I'm part of a home-school Co-op.
Can we use CharacterLeads® in the Co-op?

Absolutely! The pricing module for CharacterLeads® varies based on the group size. You're going to fall in love with this curriculum! When you do, please help us spread the word about this resource!

Co-op & Small Groups

Home School Parents (no Co-op)

I'm a parent / grandparent. Is there any way I can use the CharacterLeads® curriculum to teach character in my home?

Again, the answer is absolutely! Parents who home-school and are not part of a Co-op can purchase individual units as you need them or purchase the whole set! How many grandparents out there help watch their grandchildren throughout the week? Our research shows that there's a lot of you! What better way to invest in your grandchild than to have meaningful conversations around character, all while building their leadership skills! You will have so much fun together, they won't even realize it's educational!

Home Use

Still need more information?
Just click the button below, and a team member will reach out to you!

TELL ME MORE

University of Arizona Conducts Study on the Educational Value of KiDs Beach Club®
Jan 23 4:21 PM

University of Arizona Conducts Study on the Educational Value of KiDs Beach Club®

Jan 23 4:21 PM
Jan 23 4:21 PM

To kick off the new year, we have some exciting news to share! Last fall, as part of their Multi-disciplinary Leadership Captstone Project, students from the University of Arizona conducted a study of the educational impact of KiDs Beach Club®. Their findings bring validation from an academic institution that the work being done in Beach Club® makes a difference! Of course, we have known this to be true, but now that knowledge has been independently validated.

 

Study of the Educational Impact of KiDs Beach Club® on Elementary Schools

The KiDs Beach Club® (KBC) after-school program plays an important role in the academic life of public elementary schools by meeting student social-emotional needs, improving student behaviors, and developing leadership among students, according to a study conducted by the University of Arizona.

The study found that, “KBC serves a valuable role as the supplemental support system that can act as an extension of school efforts to support their students and...fill the gap in the school’s ability to support their students and meet their needs.”

University of Arizona researchers studied elementary schools that have a KiDs Beach Club® program. Principals at these schools noted several challenges that their schools faced and how KBC assisted in meeting those challenges. Student social, emotional, and behavioral issues were all concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic was seen as causing deterioration in student interpersonal skills and reducing their ability to empathize and demonstrate kindness toward others. Principals noted the lack of time and resources available within the school day to address the needs for emotional and behavioral maturity, making the KBC after-school program especially important. Schools, especially those designated as Title I, also faced a lack of parental support at home.

Principals noted that an integral part of the supplemental support KBC provides schools are KBC’s adult volunteers and the “benefit of having adults other than their school’s faculty contribute toward instilling positive behavior in students.” One principal was quoted as saying “KBC taught students how to be a friend, what it is like to stand up for someone, and how to become leaders.” The study found that KBC’s use of Biblical stories, parables, and lessons were uniquely valuable in instilling values in ways the school could not because of their religious basis. Students responded with excitement about religion.

The study found a correlation between KiDs Beach Club® attendance and student behavior improvement. One principal noted that there are not behavior concerns for students who attend KiDs Beach Club®. This principal stated that if more students were involved with KBC, the school would see a greater increase in positive behavior. Another principal noted an increase in students participating in school-wide community projects because of KiDs Beach Club®.

All principals who participated in the research rated the program highly. “KBC was able to support the schools in their goals to help students with improving soft skills and character development,” the study concluded. The program provided additional opportunity for students to “learn, grow, and be supported beyond the classroom.” KiDs Beach Club® helps “students develop their behavioral and emotional maturity by teaching students good values and how to be better people.”

The study found that the primary educational benefit of KiDs Beach Club® was the development of student soft skills and character, which contributed to overall learning.

Methodology

Researchers used qualitative methodology to conduct four case studies of public elementary schools. Schools were randomly selected from a pool of 44 schools that had the KiDs Beach Club® program for at least three years and that had the same principal during that period. Researchers conducted phone interviews with principals during fall of 2022. The principal’s responses were recorded and turned into data for analysis.

 

Download the Summary Report

Now Not Later author Kassy Cooper visits KiDs Beach Club®
Jan 23 4:21 PM

Now Not Later author Kassy Cooper visits KiDs Beach Club®

Jan 23 4:21 PM
Jan 23 4:21 PM

At KiDs Beach Club®, our mission is to give every preteen boy and girl a Jesus experience. When we come across like-minded individuals whose heart beats for the same thing, we want to share them with you. 

Meet Kassy Cooper, a 22 year old college senior from Plano, TX. Kassy fell in love with Jesus as a preteen and has a heart for reaching the next generation. She is on a mission to empower and equip young people with the what, why, and how to wholeheartedly follow Jesus Now, Not Later.

Kassy stopped by our KBC Corporate office a few weeks ago to share why God called her to write this book and what she hopes young people will learn by reading it. Grab your preteen and listen to the podcast together. Money-back guarantee: you will both be challenged and encouraged! Keep reading for a few profound quotes from this young adult who is on fire for Jesus. She is a living example of why we are so passionate about reaching preteens.

"I believe one of satan's favorite words is later. I don't think he goes around telling unbelievers or believers to never follow Jesus. He doesn't whisper in a Christian's ear, 'Never go to church. Never read your Bible.' Instead, he just says, 'Read your Bible later. Pray later. Trust Jesus later. Keep Christ at the center later. Start sharing the Gospel later.' It's always later."

"Later really means never. It's just disguised as something more innocent."

Wholehearted devotion to God Now, Not Later is the calling God has placed on all of us, yet so few really understand what that means. Kassy somehow understands what so many of us struggle to grasp. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. We aren't promised later. Later may never come, and if it does, it may be filled with missed opportunities of living for what matters: Loving God, making Him known, and loving others.

Now Not Later is available on Amazon and is 300 pages full of golden nuggets for preteens and young adults. Go get your copy today. Join Kassy and KiDs Beach Club® in being sold out for God Now, Not Later!

Grab your preteen and listen to the full podcast together.

 

As an Amazon Associate, KBC earns from qualifying purchases made from links on this page.

Jan 23 4:21 PM

Judson Baptist Church: Reaching Their Community, One Donut at a Time

Jan 23 4:21 PM
Jan 23 4:21 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hats off to Judson Baptist Church in Nashville, TN for catching the vision on how to reach their community! It's not just about doing a club once a week. It's about authentically loving on the school staff, children, and community so that they know you care. It's about asking God to show you innovative ways to reach beyond families outside of your club. Yes, Beach Club® is your ticket into the schools. It opens the doors, but it's up to the church to decide how to minister beyond the 1-hour each week in Club.

Last year, Judson Baptist Church partnered with KiDs Beach Club® to sponsor their very first Beach Club® at Norman Binkley Elementary School in Nashville, TN. Averaging 11 children in their first year, they asked God to open the doors to reach more children and families in their second year at Norman Binkley Elementary. God opened the doors in incredible ways, and they are now averaging 26 children each week - more than double from their first year!

Children's pastor Richard Smith recently shared with us that not only has Beach Club® attendance more than doubled this year, but the church has been able to build relationships
with the school staff, just by loving on them. They sponsored a Chick Fil-A lunch for a teacher
work-day at the beginning of  school, and they've sponsored coffee and donut bars for other teacher work days. 


The staff has been so appreciative of the love the church has shown them that they even posted an appreciation picture on their public facebook. Judson Baptist Church was also able to adopt two needy Beach Club® families at Christmastime, and two new families have started attending the church because of their work with KiDs Beach Club®.

Thank you, Pastor Rich and Judson Baptist Church for representing KiDs Beach Club® so well and making the name of Jesus famous in your community!

Keep up the great work!

 

To share your church's story and be featured in future Surf Reports, send the details along with some pictures to stories@kbcmail.org.

 

Jan 23 4:21 PM

KiDs Beach Club® TV - Season 2 goes GLOBAL!

Jan 23 4:21 PM
Jan 23 4:21 PM

In 2022, the only way to see KiDs Beach Club® Season 2 was through Pure Flix, but that all changed with the new year! Thanks to our distribution partner BMG Global, you can now see KBC-TV Season 2 on a global scale!

If you liked KiDs Beach Club® Season 1, you will definitely want to see Season 2. It's packed full of new games, original music, and an expanded cast of talented kids! Danni, Alex, and Oliver are back from Season 1, joined by newcomers Grey, Eli, Vee, Kinley, and Rylie. Pastor Mark is back again, too, but this time he is "on location" in each episode sharing our Bible Connection. Of course, your favorite TV club leaders Jason and Jordan are back leading the Beach Club® kids in learning biblical character. 

Check your local listings for KiDs Beach Club® Season 1 and Season 2! You won't want to miss an episode. Individual episodes or the entire season of KBC-TV Season 2 are also available for purchase on Amazon Prime! 

Go get your copy today!

 

 

As an Amazon Associate, KBC earns from qualifying purchases made from links on this page.

Nov 09 2:37 PM

Beach Clubbers Make Jesus Their Forever Friend

Nov 09 2:37 PM
Nov 09 2:37 PM

At KiDs Beach Club®, our vision is to provide every preteen boy and girl with a Jesus experience. That means in everything we do, we want to provide opportunities for kids to not only know about Jesus but to experience His love for themselves. Ultimately, we pray that the “Jesus experience” will lead that preteen to decide to make Jesus their Forever Friend, giving them complete peace knowing that they’re never alone in this life. That’s why we partner with churches to provide after-school Beach Clubs® in public schools around the country. It’s why we partner with broadcasters around the world to air the KiDs Beach Club® television show on their stations, networks, and streaming channels.

Historically, we see about 10% of kids enrolled in Beach Club® experience Jesus and make Him their forever friend. And that’s just the ones that have been recorded! We also know that there are likely many more professions of faith as a result of Beach Club® that are not recorded. This fall alone, 147 kids in Beach Club® have decided to make Jesus their Forever Friend! That is 147 preteens who have had a Jesus experience and invited Him to come into and be a part of their lives. 

These moments are special not only for the kids but also for the leaders. You see, when a child in Beach Club® expresses an interest in accepting Jesus as Savior, a club volunteer will sit down with that child to talk through all that is involved with that decision. Though it’s a simple process, we want the kids to understand the significance of what they are doing. Once the child makes that decision, the news is shared with the rest of the club so everyone can express joy for their friend’s decision. Our partner churches have the ability to follow-up with each child who has made Jesus their Forever Friend at Beach Club®. This follow-up often includes giving the rest of the family a Jesus experience as they talk with the parents about the decision their child has made.

We celebrate these decisions at KiDs Beach Club®! The reach of one club, one volunteer, one partner church, one child is limitless. A child deciding to make Jesus their Forever Friend is not only going to make a difference in that child’s life today, but it will also make a difference in everyone that child impacts going forward. Families often start coming to church as a result. Friends hear about it and join Beach Club®. The extended reach of KiDs Beach Club is truly unknown today—but one day in Heaven we will see the impact that these precious lives have had.

So today and every day, we celebrate how God is using us to provide preteens with a Jesus experience. We celebrate the 147 precious children who this fall have already made Jesus their Forever Friend, and we celebrate the 9,538 who have done that since KiDs Beach Club® started. We pray that you, our partners, volunteers, parents, and donors will celebrate as well because you are helping make all of this possible. By God’s grace, together we will continue to make an even greater impact around the world—an impact that can last for generations. 

Each week at KiDs Beach Club® we are moving a little closer to giving every preteen a Jesus experience!

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