The framework
Character, broken into things you can actually watch for.
Five pillars sit at the top. Underneath them are 13 capabilities, 52 competencies and 200 behaviours, each one specific enough that a parent can say yes, I saw that on Tuesday. Nothing in the score comes from anywhere else.
Five pillars, weighted on purpose
The weights are not equal. Responsibility, Judgment and Self-Reliance are what a young adult has to do alone. Respect and Contribution are relational and develop later.
- 25%
Responsibility
Takes something on, sees it through, and owns the result either way.
- 25%
Judgment
Reads the situation, weighs the choice, and understands what follows from it.
- 25%
Self-Reliance
Starts without being told, copes when the plan changes, recovers after a setback.
- 15%
Respect
Listens properly, and treats the other person as someone whose view counts.
- 10%
Contribution
Carries a fair share of the load and leaves a place better than they found it.
13 capabilities
Each capability belongs to one pillar and is scored on its own, so you can see that a child is strong at finishing things and still learning to read a room. Between them they hold 52 competencies and 200 named behaviours.
- OwnershipResponsibilityOWN
- ReliabilityResponsibilityREL
- ExecutionResponsibilityEXE
- Decision QualityJudgmentDEC
- Practical IntelligenceJudgmentPRI
- Situational AwarenessJudgmentSIT
- Problem SolvingSelf-ReliancePSO
- InitiativeSelf-RelianceINI
- AdaptabilitySelf-RelianceADA
- Self-ManagementSelf-RelianceSMG
- CommunicationRespectCOM
- EmpathyRespectEMP
- CollaborationContributionCOL
Nine situations where it actually shows
Every mission places a capability in a real situation, and the engine rotates through them across a term.
- Personal Care
- Family Participation
- People & Relationships
- Community & Environment
- Money & Value
- Learning Ownership
- Projects & Execution
- Safety & Awareness
- Unexpected Situations
The same framework at every age
The pillars never change. What changes is how much of the work the child is expected to carry, which is why a mission for a seven year old and one for a sixteen year old can build the same capability.
- 5 to 7Doing it alongside a parent, one instruction at a time.
- 8 to 10Doing it themselves, with someone checking afterwards.
- 11 to 13Planning it themselves, and noticing when it goes wrong.
- 14 to 17Running it, including the parts nobody asked them to do.
- 18 and overSelf-directed, with their own reflection in place of a parent's.