Explore Karen’s writing on a range of topics including practical wisdom, applied phronesis, courageous dialogue, character education, educational leadership and more.
An exploratory report demonstrating the impact of the Practical Wisdom for Agile Leadership (PWAL) program for K-12 leaders from Nov 2022 to May 2023.
Whitlock B and Bohlin KE. Courageous Dialogue Toolkit. LifeCompass Institute for Character & Leadership; 2021.
Building Character in Schools is a blueprint for educators serious about creating a transformative educational experience for students–one that shapes mind, heart and character. Each of the seven chapters charts a theoretically grounded but enormously practical course for shaping a vision of character education for flourishing, engaging all of the adults faculty, staff, and parents, building a strong culture and community.
See Karen Bohlin's chapter "Educating the Heart: Why Poetry Matters" in Educating Character Through the Arts (Routledge, 2023). To Learn more about the book, read this blog post published in Imperfect Cognition.
How can approaches to character education be systematically developed and integrated into educational leadership programs and PK-12 schools? How do we know that these approaches are leading to desired improvements? These questions were at the heart of the yearlong work of the Kern Partners for Character and Educational Leadership (KPCEL).
Character Education & Teacher Education: How are Prospective Teachers Being Prepared to Foster Good Character in Students? Emily Nielsen Jones, Karen Bohlin & Kevin Ryan. Character Education Partnership, 1999, Washington DC
Stress Tests of Character explores the question: What do we do — and who do we become — in the face of stress? When confronted with challenges, how do we reframe them as opportunities for growth? This interdisciplinary resource guide draws on the power of story across the curriculum to inspire students with the practical wisdom they need to navigate stress tests with courage and resilience
Bohlin KE. The Practical Wisdom Framework: A Compass for School Leaders. Journal of Education; 2021 Jul 20:00220574211028828.
Bohlin KE. Educando el Carácter a Través de la Literatura. Didaskalos; 2020.
Bohlin KE. Virtue: An Argument Worth Rehearsing. Journal of Character Education. 2014. v10 n1 p53-59.
These essays from Japanese and American authors examine 9 essential virtues shared by both Eastern and Western cultures. Rich in wisdom, wit and story, each chapter illustrates that the virtues associated with living a good life know no national boundaries. It is the sincere hope of the editors and authors that this book will help its readers re-examine the timeless question of what constitutes true happiness and how it can be realized in a globally and socially responsible manner.
Bohlin K. Teaching Character Education through Literature: Awakening the Moral Imagination in Secondary Classrooms. Routledge; 2005.
Building Character in Schools Resource Guide offers educators a practical handbook for developing, assessing, and strengthening character education in schools. It’s filled with real-life examples--both successful and unsuccessful--of character education efforts. This Resource Guide is a powerful tool for in house professional development..
What are the obligations of the university to society and its communities? What are the virtues of university education? What are the university's ethical responsibilities to its students? This book offers thoughtful insights, outlining the intellectual and practical tensions and pressures which come to bear upon higher education institutions.
Want to integrate character education into the academic curriculum? This collection of engaging lessons features short biographical narratives from figures in history that will enrich any language arts, social studies or science unit. Fifteen great lives from Confucius to Anne Frank bring character strengths such as diligence, responsibility and integrity to life in the context of a story. Written by educators for educators, each lesson includes student activities, questions to guide reflection