NHA Details Character Program Across 105 Schools
National Heritage Academies’ Moral Focus program teaches nine virtues across 105 charter schools serving more than 65,000 students.
By Academic Writing Club Newsroom
National Heritage Academies serves more than 65,000 students through 105 tuition-free public charter schools in nine states. Its Moral Focus program teaches nine virtues from September through May, including self-control, compassion, and perseverance. More than 15,000 parents completed the organization’s spring satisfaction survey, with four out of five agreeing or strongly agreeing that Moral Focus had a positive effect on their child. At Pembroke Academy in Detroit, sixth-grade student Elijah Martin is one example of how the program is used.
Lessons Throughout The School Week
Pembroke, an NHA partner school, uses the Moral Focus program to help students build character. Classrooms dedicate time to the program three days a week, while teachers connect the monthly virtue to classroom reading, discussions, and experiences.
Each month’s lessons introduce a definition, give real-world examples, ask students to reflect on the virtue, and have them put it into action.
Morgan Faasse, Moral Focus Team Lead at National Heritage Academies, said:
“Our lessons are designed to meet them where they are.”
Student Work Reflects The Virtues
Hundreds of art and writing pieces were submitted to the 2025-26 school year’s Moral Focus Contest. Entries included poems by students in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Flint about encouragement, integrity, and standing by one’s values.
Ashley, a fifth-grade student from Detroit, wrote:
“Encourage me to become the plant that grows into a tree. Encourage me to soar to my deepest dreams.”
Nine Virtues Across The Year
Each virtue builds on the previous one through the school year. The program is intended to help students apply those lessons at school, home, and in their community.
Morgan Faasse, Moral Focus Team Lead at National Heritage Academies, said:
“The more they practice these virtues, the more it can become a part of who they are. Our Moral Focus program helps our students become confident, conscientious, and compassionate in and outside of school walls.”
