As a teacher, you are responsible for safeguarding the values that define our nation and forging the heroes of tomorrow. However, instilling these values in students can feel impossible, especially with abounding distractions and limited time and resources. If you are looking for engaging character-building activities for students that will truly catalyze growth, the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s PATH TO HONOR student portal is your answer.

Learn how these self-guided, FREE, and engaging teacher-designed character education lessons can seamlessly supplement your curriculum for up to 18 weeks and spark rich discussions that will empower them to reach their full potential.

Why Is Character Education Important in School?

In a world of constant change and digital noise, students need more than academic knowledge to thrive; they need character. Character education is vital in school for developing your students’ ethical, social, and emotional skills, ultimately preparing them for academic success and a life of integrity. 

Qualities like courage, integrity, and commitment don’t just build better citizens; they shape confident, empathetic, and resilient individuals who can lead purposefully and contribute to a more just and equitable society. That’s why character education is essential in today’s classrooms.

When students engage with classroom activities for character building, they don’t just learn what’s right; they begin to internalize those values through stories, reflection, and meaningful dialogue. 

Programs like the Medal of Honor Foundation’s PATH TO HONOR provide a structured and inspiring way to introduce these values through riveting character development activities for kids and teens. 

By watching the real-life stories of Medal of Honor Recipients, students are exposed to the highest examples of American character and inspired to reflect on how they, too, can lead lives of courage, sacrifice, and service and live their lives in the footsteps of our nation’s true heroes.

How to Build Character in a Child or Teenager

Building character isn’t about lectures; it’s about daily practice, reflection, and real-life modeling. 

Using some tried and true strategies alongside the PATH TO HONOR curriculum can help to create a classroom where courage, respect, and responsibility come to life. Here are some proven tactics to help you as you learn how to build character in a child or teenager:

• Model what you teach. Show kindness, fairness, and integrity in your everyday actions; when you exhibit these behaviors, students will follow your lead.
• Recognize exemplary character. When a student shows empathy, grit, or honesty, acknowledge it. Praise builds habits. We also offer free, customizable, and printable classroom awards for student recognition.
• Encourage self-reflection. Use Medal of Honor stories from PATH TO HONOR to prompt questions like, “What would I do in that situation?”
• Let them fail forward. Give students room to make mistakes, solve problems, and grow from experience.
• Assign real responsibility. Whether it’s leading a group or helping a classmate, responsibility builds confidence and trust.
• Promote service. Encourage volunteering or classroom acts of kindness to develop empathy and civic awareness.
• Teach listening as a skill. Show students how to listen with curiosity and respect—even when disagreeing.
• Foster peer encouragement. Create moments where students recognize and support one another’s efforts.
• Set clear expectations. Respect and responsibility should be built into your classroom culture and language.
• Discuss character traits often. Make conversations about courage, commitment, and integrity part of your daily routine with character-building group activities and discussions from PATH TO HONOR.
• Use stories to explore values. Books, videos, and PATH TO HONOR narratives bring character concepts to life. A field trip to the Medal of Honor Museum is also a great idea! 
• Role-play real choices. Give students the chance to practice decision-making in a safe, thoughtful space.

By integrating these character education lessons and building character activities for elementary, middle school, and high school students into your classroom, you give students not only a mirror to examine their own values but also a map to grow into the kind of person who makes a difference.

PATH TO HONOR: 18 FREE Ways to Build Character in 2025 and Beyond

PATH TO HONOR is FREE and easy to use. It provides middle school and high school character building activities and video lessons about Medal of Honor Recipients. 

Through these tales of valor from some of our nation’s most decorated heroes, students learn about the character values that define our country and empower people to overcome unimaginable odds.

The PATH TO HONOR student portal comprises 6 engaging teacher-designed modules that spark self-exploration and ensure proper growth. The modules expound upon the character traits that drive our country forward to catalyze character development in students:

• Courage 
• Sacrifice
• Patriotism
• Citizenship
• Integrity 
• Commitment

Each module consists of 3 video lessons, which means you will have 18 activities for character development that could last over a semester.

Related Article: Path to Honor: Free Leadership Video Lessons for Teachers & Parents

What Do These Character-Building Activities Encompass?

When your students start these teenagers’ and children’s character-building activities, they will watch an introductory video that sets the stage for the theater of war and acts of courage, bravery, and selflessness that have safeguarded our freedoms and propelled our country forward. 

Then, they will begin diving deeper into the stories of these heroes. During these video lessons, real-life examples of Medal of Honor Recipients demonstrating Medal of Honor values take center stage, and students will be asked how they would respond under similar circumstances and compare their answers to those of Medal of Honor Recipients, sparking self-discovery. 

After the video, students begin a self-guided, reflective exercise and write a longer answer to spark classroom conversation. Learn how these lessons can create classroom discussions about history and the importance of these values in their everyday lives.

Related Article: Unleash the Heroes Within: Path to Honor Provides Free, Self-Guided Video Assignments for Students

Courage

Through three compelling character-building activities and videos, students learn that courage is not a lack of fear; it’s a willingness to persevere in the face of it. These video lessons revolve around:

• Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, a World War II veteran who had chosen to continue to fight the war overseas instead of returning to the safety of his home.
• Corporal Jason Dunham, a veteran of the War on Terrorism (Iraq), found himself one day standing between his team and a live grenade.
• Captain James Fleming, a Vietnam War veteran who received orders to withdraw when he had not completed his job yet.

Related Article: Path to Honor: FREE Homeschool Lessons for High School

Sacrifice

These three video lessons will teach students that sacrifice is a choice and about the cost of that choice, while learning the value of sacrificing for a cause greater than oneself, inspiring them to uphold this same value in their daily lives. 

These video lessons and character-building activities for school revolve around:

• Staff Sergeant Henry Eugene “Red” Erwin, a World War II veteran who was facing a burning bomb in a crashing plane and had to make a choice. 
• Lieutenant Thomas Hudner, a Korean War veteran who was in a situation where the only way to save his friends was by risking his own life. 
• Sergeant Alwyn Cashe, a War on Terrorism (Iraq) veteran who saw his team trapped in a vehicle and had to make an unbelievable decision. 

Related Article: Our Favorite Home Education Ideas & Resources

Patriotism

These character-building activities and videos show that patriotism is more than stars, stripes, red, white, and blue. Students will step into the shoes of patriots who made tough decisions against overwhelming odds. These lessons revolve around:

• Sergeant William Carney, a Civil War veteran who was watching the flag fall amid enemy fire and demonstrated patriotic bravery. 
• Private George Sakato, a World War II veteran who was loyal to his country despite it betraying him.
• Lieutenant Edouard Victor Michel Izac, a World War I veteran who was held prisoner on a submarine where the enemy pushed his patriotism to its limits. 

Citizenship

Through three video lessons and character development activities for high school students, elementary students, and middle school students that will spark conversations, students will learn that they are citizens everywhere they go and understand the importance of practicing active citizenship within their communities. These lessons revolve around:

• Private Henry Johnson, a World War I veteran who exhibited citizenship facing uncertainty and imminent danger during an overnight enemy surprise attack.
• Sergeant Gary Beikrich, a Vietnam War veteran who, upon returning from war and facing an angry, divided nation, continued to be an active citizen.
• Sergeant Joseph Rodriguez, a Korean War veteran who was trapped and facing brutal enemy fire and still demonstrated remarkable citizenship. 

“If this medal and what it represents could be conveyed to everyone, it would be a much different world.” 

– Gary Beikirch, Medal of Honor Recipient

Integrity

While defining integrity is simple, it is much more complicated in practice. During these classroom character-building activities for kids and teenagers, students will understand the dilemma of doing the right thing even when they can’t tell what it is, or it seems impossible. These lessons revolve around:

• Lieutenant Colonel Joe Jackson, a Vietnam War veteran who showed integrity and poise in a plane too big for the runway on which it needed to land.
• Captain Humbert Roque “Rocky” Versace, a Vietnam War veteran who faced impossible choices as a prisoner of war. 
• Staff Sergeant Edward Carter, a World War II veteran who, seriously wounded, faced several enemy fighters and made difficult decisions to do the right thing. 

Commitment

Through three character-building activities and video lessons, students will learn that life is all about commitment to self and others. These stories will inspire them never to give up. The lessons in this module revolve around:

• Commander Ernest Evans, a World War II veteran who was responsible for the ship and its crew, and showed unwavering resolve in facing insurmountable odds.
• Captain Florent Groberg, a War on Terrorism (Afghanistan) veteran who had to demonstrate commitment after seeing something out of place while being responsible for others. 
• Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War veteran devoted to her country despite being repeatedly denied employment as a military doctor. 

If you are interested in incorporating these innovative and engaging character education lessons into your classroom, watch this video for a demonstration of how you can access the PATH TO HONOR portal for free:

Related Article: How to Empower Students in the Classroom

Do You Need Character-Building Activities for the Youth that Can Transform Your Students into Tomorrow’s Leaders? Register for PATH TO HONOR Today! 

By introducing PATH TO HONOR into your classroom, you are doing more than teaching history; you are inspiring the next generation of leaders. These FREE, intuitive, and self-guided character-building activities for elementary students, middle school students, and high school students will empower you to captivate your students, enrich their lives, and ignite a passion and deep understanding of the values that define our nation. 

Visit our PATH TO HONOR page to learn more about this innovative and inspiring program and forge the heroes our country and communities deserve.