Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Voyage: Adventures in Character?
The Voyage is an elementary school initiative focused on transforming students’ perspectives of the decisions they make and the actions they take. ADDO created The Voyage to be a school-wide program that inspires students to positively influence their classrooms, homes, and communities.
Who is ADDO?
ADDO, Latin for inspire, is a leadership consultancy building leadership programs, products, and experiences that inspire and equip individuals, teams, and organizations to lead well in society. ADDO created The Voyage to provide a foundation for effective leadership, soft skills, and social-emotional development that enables students to succeed in life, both in and out of school.
What gap does The Voyage fill in schools?
Other character education programs focus solely on character education for students, with content they see weekly, or they provide a framework for staff to help build character. The Voyage does both character education and professional development to create cohesive messaging throughout the school, aligning staff and students’ growth.
What is the methodology behind The Voyage?
The Voyage follows ADDO’s unique Engage-Expose-Equip model of character and leadership transformation. In elementary schools, this means Engaging Educators, Exposing Students, and Equipping Schools. Learn more on the home page of our website.
What key attributes do students learn on The Voyage?
Students learn 16 total character attributes, 8 per year:
Ocean Voyage: Cooperation, Perseverance, Courage, Kindness, Responsibility, Honesty, Humility, and Generosity
Island Voyage: Self-Control, Compassion, Trustworthiness, Independence, Appreciation, Loyalty, Respect, and Patience
How long does a classroom lesson take?
Weekly lessons on The Voyage are designed to take 10-20 minutes. A best practice we recommend is to implement during the daily morning meeting. The core animated video is less than 5 minutes (shown at the beginning of the week), with discussion and developmentally appropriate activities lasting the remaining time. Lessons are flexible, to be implemented when time allows, and allow for integrated character learning. Our team will work with your leadership team to develop the best implementation plan based on your needs.
What does my staff experience through The Voyage?
We believe that engaging educators and staff is key to making The Voyage a success in your school. The school year starts with an Onboarding Kickoff designed to provide both inspiration and information to help make The Voyage a success throughout the school. This session is led by an ADDO Ambassador who will help launch the The Voyage prior to program implementation with students.
With each unit, there is a corresponding professional development video for your staff to watch that serves as a catalyst for conversation to develop your entire staff.
How does The Voyage involve families?
It is key to involve parents and family on The Voyage, as children continue to shape their character beyond school. The Voyage provides take-home resources corresponding to each lesson that help extend growth into the home. These resources help recap for parents what their children are learning, provide discussion questions, and present an activity to help practice the Anchor and Action Point at home.
Additionally, there are weekly announcements that teachers and administrators can use in their usual communications with families. These announcements help provide context for what students are learning at school.
Bring The Voyage to Your School
WHO IS BEHIND THE VOYAGE?
ADDO is a leadership consultancy building leadership programs, products, and experiences that inspire and equip individuals, teams, and organizations to lead well in society. ADDO partners with meaningful brands including Chick-fil-A, Inc., Coca-Cola, and The Atlanta Braves to inspire people today to impact tomorrow.