What is CultureFeed?

CultureFeed is a place for educators to explore the challenges of shaping their students’ character. We seek to encourage and inspire those in every educational setting—public or private, religious or secular.

How do you define “better people”?

In a diverse society, we won’t always agree on what constitutes morality or good character. But research shows that at least 95 percent of parents consider it “very important” or “essential” that their children be loving, hardworking, honest and truthful, reliable and dependable, and persons of strong moral character. Even with our differing values and traditions, these are qualities we all hope to instill in the next generation.

What do schools have to do with shaping student character?

As you know, children spend a significant number of their waking hours at school. Whether or not you work at a school with a formal character and citizenship curriculum, your students are internalizing subtle messages from their learning environment about what is good, worthy, and true.

Who publishes CultureFeed?

CultureFeed is published by the nonprofit Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation, which supports and disseminates the work of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. The Institute is an interdisciplinary research center that studies the foundational dynamics—the deep structures—of contemporary culture, including personhood, community, and language and meaning. The Institute strives to provide intellectual leadership in service to the public good. Its ongoing research into the moral formation of young people informs the goals and conceptual framework of the CultureFeed website.