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"My goal is that teachers and students in our school will be connected to one another and that they will have a new enthusiasm for learning."

- DeeDee DeMan Parent
and LFI Board Member

Communities of Excellence - Living The 8 Keys


Communities of Excellence unites schools, families, and organizations to inspire students to make positive choices and become productive members of society.

The program focuses on the 8 Keys of Excellence - Integrity, Failure Leads to Success, Speak with Good Purpose, This is It!, Commitment, Ownership, Flexibility and Balance.

The initiative includes:

• Training for teachers and school administrators to introduce them to the 8 Keys of Excellence and provide instruction on implementation of the Communities of Excellence program in the school and in classrooms as character component in the curriculum..

• A set of 8 Keys key-cards for every student. As each Key is presented, students add a key-card to their ring.

• An 8 Keys of Excellence poster for every classroom.

• The 8 Keys of Excellence book for every teacher.

• An 8 Keys of Excellence website to support teachers' implementation of the program. The website includes information on how to present each Key, stories and worksheets for students, how to integrate the Keys into curriculum, and a section to support participating students.

• An 8 Keys of Excellence website for students that will provide on-going reinforcement for their 8 Keys training

• School-initiated opportunities to hold 8 Keys assemblies with local leaders, fundraise with local businesses, attract local media coverage of the school’s character development efforts, etc.
The 8 Keys of Excellence provide students with valuable principles and create a foundation for acceptable behavior. The 8 Keys are Integrity, Failure Leads to Success, Speak with Good Purpose, This is It!, Commitment, Ownership, Flexibility, and Balance.
  1. Live in INTEGRITY

    2. Define your values and make behavior choices that are in line with your values. When your actions are authentic and sincere and reflect what you believe in, that's integrity.

  2. FAILURE LEADS TO SUCCESS

    3. The only real failure is not learning from your mistakes. Ask yourself: What have I learned from this experience? What value can I find in it? What will I do differently next time?

  3. SPEAK WITH GOOD PURPOSE

    4. Communicate in a positive, honest and direct way – it's the cornerstone of healthy relationships.

  4. THIS IS IT!

    5. Live in the now. Make the most of every moment. By making something else IT, you miss what's going on around you in the moment. Each moment, each task, counts.

  5. Affirm your COMMITMENT

    6. Define your goal and commit to it! Do whatever it takes to make it happen.

  6. Take OWNERSHIP

    7. Be someone who can be counted on. Take responsibility for the choices you make.

  7. Stay FLEXIBLE

    8. Be willing to change what you are doing to get the outcome you desire. If something's not working, try something new.

  8. Keep your BALANCE

    9. Balance is our personal 'bank account' of meaning and fulfillment within our life. To stay in balance we must make the choices that give the greatest meaning to us.

2012 Goals

To fund a Communities of Excellence – Living the 8 Keys school program, please print a donation form or you can donate online. To learn more about funding a program or launching a Communities of Excellence program at your school, you can call us at 760-305-7317.