Educating Minds and Hearts:

The CUNY School of Professional Studies develops new courses and academic programs to serve the needs of working professionals, businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and unions. SPS offers academically rigorous credit-bearing certificate programs, an online baccalaureate degree program, individual credit courses, and non-credit training programs.

The Center for Social and Character Development, Rutgers University provides professional training and consultation to educators in public schools and conducts evaluation research on the effectiveness of social development programs through grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

The New York State Student Support Services Center is a statewide technical assistance center of the New York State Education Department designed to build the capacity of New York State schools to develop, enhance and sustain supportive environments and reduce barriers to learning that impact on academic achievement and citizenship. The Center assists school communities with using strength-based collaborative processes to dialog and analyze policies, practices and local data in relation to their school vision and mission, research-based best practices, and promising models and tools.

The New York State Center for School Safety (NYSCSS) is a state government coordinating agency and information clearinghouse. The Center supports schools, families, communities and government organizations in creating safe and healthy environments. NYSCSS is committed to promoting research-driven, data-based solutions to school violence and promoting safe and healthy learning environments where students are secure in their pursuit of educational success and where teachers and administrators can make this a reality.

Public Education Network (PEN) is a national association of local education funds and individuals working to advance public school reform in low-income communities across our country. PEN and its members are building public demand and mobilizing resources for quality public education on behalf of 12 million children in 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. PEN's work is guided by the following four principles: Public education is fundamental to a democratic, civil, prosperous society; Public schools are critical institutions for breaking the cycle of poverty and redressing social inequities; Education reform must be systemic to be effective; and, Public engagement, community support, and adequate resources are essential to the success of public education.

The Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education generates and disseminates knowledge and research about how individuals develop moral and civic character and provides scholars, educators and organizations with the tools they need to contribute to this development.

Character Education Partnership (CEP) was incorporated in 1993 in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is now based in Washington, DC. CEP publicizes and disseminates information on the benefits of K-12 character education and assists schools and communities in the launching of character education initiatives. It is recognized as a leader in the field and a foremost advocate for developing young people of good character and civic virtue.

The National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) at the Education Commission of the States is a leadership network established in 1997. It assists state and local leaders in developing policies to help districts and schools provide students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to be effective, contributing citizens. NCLC identifies and analyzes policies and practices that support effective teaching and learning; disseminates analyses of best practices and policy trends through issue briefs, toolkits, commissioned papers and other publications; and convenes national, state and local meetings and networks to share information about service-learning and citizenship education. NCLC's mission is to help state and district leaders promote, support and reward service learning and citizenship education as essential components of America's education system.

The National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER) is a network of 24 settings in 20 states and one Canadian provinces where 42 University colleges of education, arts and sciences, and more than 200 public school districts and over 1000 P-12 schools work in partnership to advance the Agenda for Education in a Democracy. The NNER, a network within 20 U.S. states and one Canadian province of university-school district partnerships, supports partnerships among education, arts and science, and public school colleagues. The network comprises 42 higher education institutions, over 200 school districts and more than 1000 partner schools that work in partnership to advance the Agenda for Education in a Democracy.