This second issue of the 2019 volume of the Journal of Character Education is a guest-edited themed issue, something that has become a frequent feature of the JCE. We are grateful to Danielle Hachimonji, Arielle Linsky, and Maurice Elias for both proposing and executing an exciting collection of scholarly and practitioner articles focusing on educating for purpose, particularly in adolescence. The work of the Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab at Rutgers University and its MOSAIC project centers on student positive purpose, social-emotional skills, and inspiring students to become their “best selves” in order to make contributions to their school, the community, and the wider world. The MOSAIC project is represented by the paper in this collection authored by Samuel Nayman and others from their team.
At the JCE we are aware that motivation is central to the formation of character, and particularly moral character. Purpose lies at the heart of such motivation. This is as true of the educators who “deliver” education for character as it is for the students in whom the facets of character develop as a result. Character.org echoes a long-standing character education perspective, dating back at least to Aristotle, that character must be the confluence of understanding and reasoning, action and competency, and emotions and motivation. These have been represented as the head, hand, and heart of character. Purpose is central to the heart by being a core of the motivational impetus to be good.
This collection adds to the knowledge of how we can touch the hearts of students.
