The Ladue School District is proud to announce that two of its student-driven initiatives—Conway Elementary’s Rambassadors and Ladue Early Childhood Center’s Oakley’s Ambassadors—have each been honored as 2025 Promising Practices by Character.org, a national organization dedicated to fostering character development in schools, workplaces, and communities around the world.

The Promising Practices distinction celebrates innovative, effective, and replicable programs that cultivate a culture of character and belonging—aligned with Character.org’s 11 Principles Framework for Schools.

“We are extremely proud to recognize the schools and organizations that have developed and implemented a Promising Practice,” said Dr. Arthur Schwartz, President of Character.org. “Each of these programs and practices has demonstrated significant impact and strongly aligns with the principles that help schools and organizations cultivate a culture of character.”

Conway Elementary’s Rambassadors are a student-led team that works to ensure every voice is heard. These students take on roles such as planning and leading assemblies, creating empathy-based skits, analyzing climate data, and developing peer-to-peer lessons in character and inclusion.

“Shout out to Conway’s Assistant Principal, Dr. Thomas Hadfield, for leading this work with Linda Armbruster and the rest of the Character Ed Committee,” said Conway Principal Dr. Thomas Devitt. “The Rambassadors were born out of a desire to empower our students to lead from the front. They’ve shown us they are capable leaders and often the most inspiring voices in the room.”

At Ladue Early Childhood Center, Oakley’s Ambassadors are selected Pre-K students who model the center’s core values. These young leaders help guide building tours, provide feedback on school climate, support character education efforts, and practice altruistic leadership and moral courage through hands-on learning experiences.

“At LECC, we believe leadership begins with listening, empathy, and action,” said Dr. Stacy Carlock, Director of Ladue Early Childhood Center. “Oakley’s Ambassadors exemplify the power of early character education by showing us how students can lead with kindness, influence their peers, and help shape a school community where everyone feels they belong.”

“The Rambassadors and Oakley’s Ambassadors represent what’s best about our schools: leadership, compassion, and a commitment to lifting others up,” said Ladue Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Wipke. “I couldn’t be more proud of our students, staff, and families at both LECC and Conway who have brought these powerful initiatives to life.”

These dual recognitions underscore Ladue Schools’ unwavering commitment to fostering student leadership, empathy, and inclusion at every level—hallmarks of its Strategic Plan and District Goals. The work of both programs exemplifies the shared vision of creating equitable, engaging learning environments where every student belongs, grows, and thrives.