June 11, 2024

Lindbergh High School and Truman Middle School received national Promising Practice honors through Character.org on June 6, for programs that serve students and build character. Character.org is a leading advocate for cultivating the importance of character throughout American society and worldwide. In all, 198 Promising Practices were recognized this year in schools and organizations throughout the United States.

Lindbergh High School earned the Promising Practice honor for its Power Lunch concept, while Truman was honored for its “Rock Your School” event.

During Lindbergh High School’s all-school Power Lunch, students have 50 minutes each day to participate in clubs and activities, meet with teachers during their office hours, and learn to manage their time in preparation for life beyond high school. 

Power Lunch was implemented in 2019 and over its life has changed in many ways. Power Lunch began with a site visit five years ago to Kansas City area schools. It was then brought to Lindbergh as an idea by LHS Principal Dr. Eric Cochran, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tony Lake, and then Assistant Principal Dr. Priscilla Frost.

“Everyone was excited about the idea of Power Lunch and what it could mean for kids, what it could mean for teachers, and what it could mean for the culture of our school and social-emotional learning,” Cochran said.

Truman’s “Rock Your School” program was a week-long event designed to excite students about learning. “Rock Your School” week culminated with a special day of learning with a twist. Teachers were encouraged to make their lessons and classrooms look a little different that day. This included gamified lessons, opportunities for students to showcase their creativity, and total room transformations. These opportunities were designed to show students that learning can be fun.

Across the country, some of this year’s other character development Promising Practices included peer mentoring, service-learning, student voice and leadership, intrinsic motivation, and student behavior and academic growth. Many of the Promising Practices also involve parents and the local community. 

The 2024 Promising Practices will be recognized throughout 2024-2025 on Character.org’s website, social media accounts, and in the weekly newsletters. Learn more about Character.org's Promising Practices program by visiting the website at www.character.org/promising-practices/.