The Virtues Project
Encyclopedia
'The Virtues Project empowers individuals to live more authentic meaningful lives, families to raise children of compassion and integrity, educators to create safe, caring, and high performing learning communities, and leaders to encourage excellence and ethics in the work place. It has inspired and mobilized people worldwide to commit acts of service and generosity, to heal violence with virtues. www.virtuesproject.com
and clinical pediatric psychotherapist, and her brother John Kavelin was an art director at Walt Disney Imagineering
.
The Virtues Project has inspired and mobilized many thousands of families, educators, leaders and employees to commit acts of service and generosity, to heal violence with virtues, and to create safe and caring communities. There are thousands of certified trainers in The Virtues Project in at least 95 countries. Among the more than 30 institutions using curricula or materials based on The Virtues Project are: British Columbia Teachers' Federation
of Canada
, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
, the Ministry of Education of the Cook Islands
, Montessori Schools
, Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute
and One Planet International School
.
Canada's Vision TV
produced a television series Virtues: A Family Affair hosted and executive produced by Linda Kavelin Popov. The Popovs have spent more than a dozen years traveling to cultures, communities and organizations around the world to share the simple practices of the Project.
Language shapes character. The way we speak, and the words we use, have great power to discourage or to inspire.
Strategy 2: Recognize Teachable Moments
Recognizing the gifts and life lessons in our daily challenges helps us to cultivate character in ourselves and others.
Strategy 3: Set Clear Boundaries
Virtues-based boundaries focus on respect, restorative justice and reparation to create a climate of peace and safety.
Strategy 4: Honor the Spirit
This strategy begins with respect for the dignity of each person and encourages us to make time for reflection, reverence, and beauty.
Strategy 5: Offer Spiritual Companioning
By being deeply present and listening with compassion and detachment, we help others 'to empty their cup'.
History
The Virtues Project was founded in 1991 by Linda Kavelin Popov, Dr. Dan Popov, and John Kavelin. It is a global grassroots initiative that inspires the practice of virtues in everyday life. The Project is active in more than 95 countries and was honored by the United Nations during the International Year of the Family in 1994 as a "model global program for all cultures." When they began work on the materials and programs in 1990, Linda Popov was a psychotherapist designing mental health treatment and disease prevention programs for industry and government, her husband Dr. Dan Popov, a graduate of United States Military Academy at West Point, was a senior scientist consulting on information systems to NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and clinical pediatric psychotherapist, and her brother John Kavelin was an art director at Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering is the design and development arm of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation and construction of Disney theme parks worldwide...
.
The Virtues Project has inspired and mobilized many thousands of families, educators, leaders and employees to commit acts of service and generosity, to heal violence with virtues, and to create safe and caring communities. There are thousands of certified trainers in The Virtues Project in at least 95 countries. Among the more than 30 institutions using curricula or materials based on The Virtues Project are: British Columbia Teachers' Federation
British Columbia Teachers' Federation
The British Columbia Teachers' Federation is the labour union that represents all public school teachers in the province of British Columbia, Canada.-Governance Structure:...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
is a non-partisan federation of national medical groups in 63 countries, representing tens of thousands of doctors, medical students, other health workers, and concerned citizens who share the common goal of creating a more peaceful and secure world freed from the threat of nuclear annihilation...
, the Ministry of Education of the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
, Montessori Schools
Montessori method
Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. Montessori education is practiced in an estimated 20,000 schools worldwide, serving children from birth to eighteen years old.-Overview:...
, Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute
Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute
The Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute is a pre-K through 12th/OAC grades Canadian accredited internationalist private Bahá'í school now in London, Ontario, Canada...
and One Planet International School
One Planet International School
One Planet International School is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the kindergarten level, it offers Nursery , Lower Kindergarten , Upper Kindergarten , and Preparatory . At the primary level, grades one through five are offered...
.
Canada's Vision TV
Vision TV
VisionTV is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts multi-faith, multicultural, and general entertainment programming aimed at the 45 and over demographic....
produced a television series Virtues: A Family Affair hosted and executive produced by Linda Kavelin Popov. The Popovs have spent more than a dozen years traveling to cultures, communities and organizations around the world to share the simple practices of the Project.
The Five Strategies
Strategy 1: Speak the Language of the VirtuesLanguage shapes character. The way we speak, and the words we use, have great power to discourage or to inspire.
Strategy 2: Recognize Teachable Moments
Recognizing the gifts and life lessons in our daily challenges helps us to cultivate character in ourselves and others.
Strategy 3: Set Clear Boundaries
Virtues-based boundaries focus on respect, restorative justice and reparation to create a climate of peace and safety.
Strategy 4: Honor the Spirit
This strategy begins with respect for the dignity of each person and encourages us to make time for reflection, reverence, and beauty.
Strategy 5: Offer Spiritual Companioning
By being deeply present and listening with compassion and detachment, we help others 'to empty their cup'.
Virtues
The original selection of 52 virtues in "The Family Virtues Guide" (Plume/Penguin Books,1997) are:- assertiveness
- caring
- cleanliness
- commitment
- compassion
- confidence
- consideration
- cooperation
- courage
- courtesy
- creativity
- detachment
- determination
- diligence
- enthusiasm
- excellence
- flexibility
- forgiveness
- friendliness
- generosity
- gentleness
- helpfulness
- honesty
- honor
- humility
- idealism
- integrity
- joyfulness
- justice
- kindness
- love
- loyalty
- moderation
- modesty
- orderliness
- patience
- peacefulness
- perseverance
- purposefulness
- reliability
- respect
- responsibility
- self-discipline
- service
- tact
- thankfulness
- tolerance
- trust
- trustworthiness
- truthfulness
- understanding
- unity