Nipher Middle School Recognized as a 2025 Missouri School of Character

Nipher Middle School in the Kirkwood School District has been named as a 2025 Missouri School of Character, a distinction awarded by CharacterPlus®, the nation’s longest-running character education initiative. Nipher is one of 16 schools named 2025 Missouri Schools of Character. This designation recognizes schools that excel in character development, fostering a positive impact on academic achievement, student behavior, and overall school climate.

This year’s 16 State School of Character honorees include:

Babler Elementary (Rockwood)*
Bayless Junior High (Bayless)*
Crestview Middle (Rockwood)*
EPiC Elementary (Liberty)
Hanna Woods Elementary (Parkway)*
Long Elementary (Lindbergh)*
Nike Elementary (Meramec Valley R-3)
Nipher Middle (Kirkwood)
Oak Brook Elementary (Parkway)*
Oakville High (Mehlville)*
Reed Elementary (Ladue)*
Ridge Meadows Elementary (Rockwood)
Riverbend Middle (Meramec Valley R-3)
Robertsville Elementary (Meramec Valley R-3)
Ross Elementary (Parkway)*
Selvidge Middle (Rockwood)*

*Indicates the school/district has renewed its designation after five years

“Nipher Middle School’s commitment to character education is truly inspiring,” said Lori Soifer, Director of Schools of Character at Character.org. “Their efforts are shaping students into compassionate, responsible individuals, and we are proud to recognize their achievements.”

“Our team at Nipher engaged in this process to gather constructive feedback on ways we can make sure we are embedding character into all aspects of our school community and making a positive impact on every student,” said Dr. Laura Havener, principal of Nipher Middle School. “We want to thank our students, staff, families and community for their commitment to enhancing our school climate, and we are proud to celebrate and share this accomplishment with them.” 

CharacterPlus is the Missouri affiliate for the State Schools of Character process and evaluates all Missouri schools and districts that apply. This recognition is given to schools and districts that have achieved a standard of excellence in character development through their exemplary implementation of Character.org’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, a framework for whole-school improvement.

Schools named a State School of Character hold the designation for five years and are eligible to be evaluated for recognition as a National School of Character. If a school is designated a National School of Character, they also hold that designation for five years. National Schools of Character are announced annually in May.

The State Schools of Character program in Missouri is managed locally by CharacterPlus. CharacterPlus, located in St. Louis, is a partnership-based nonprofit organization committed to equipping school stakeholders with the evidence-based resources they need to provide high-quality character education. Through CharacterPlus, schools receive professional development and coaching in effective character education for school transformation. The 11 Principles of Character Education and State Schools of Character are trademarks of Character.org in Washington, DC. Character.org and CharacterPlus have been partners in character education since 1993.