Upstander Character Education Program

Upstander Character Education Program

The Upstander character education program is a partnership with the education office of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. The Museum allows Richardson ISD to integrate Upstander behavior, citizenship, and civics education through a consistent and engaging state of Texas curriculum (TEKS) and RISD Graduate Profile-aligned learning plan for Kindergarten to 12th grade to encourage students to become Upstanders in their community.

The partnership efforts include:

  • Strategic planning and coordination with Museum Educators (who are certified Texas teachers) to align all Upstander resources and activities with the Texas Education Agency TEKS curriculum on character traits and the Richardson ISD Graduate Profile.
  • Access to personalized Upstander Portal with bi-weekly/monthly themed scope and sequence resource modules with ties to Upstander skills, literacy, writing, social studies, civics, and citizenship aligned with the Texas Education Agency TEKS curriculum on character traits and the Richardson ISD Graduate Profile. Portal resources are being piloted in 2024-25 by several RISD campuses: Berkner HS, Bowie ES, LHHS, MST Magnet, Northlake ES, Richland ES. Upstander activities and lessons for use in RISD pilot campuses have been curated by RISD teaching and learning staff. While other area school districts also utilize the Upstander program as a character education resource, the lessons and activities available for RISD students are specific to RISD.
  • 2024-2025 Upstander Partnership Grade Level Descriptions
  • Upstander Program field trips or campus visits to all RISD schools led by the Museum Educators (certified Texas teachers) for:
    • 2nd grade – Inspirations: An Upstander Shadow Puppet Theater
    • 4th grade – What is an Upstander? Featuring Texas state curriculum-aligned Texas Upstanders
    • 6th grade – Fieldtrip to the Museum
    • 7th grade – What is an Upstander? Featuring Texas state curriculum-aligned Texas Upstanders
    • 9th grade – Confronting Prejudice and Hatred
  • Professional development for RISD educators to implement these resources and activities in their classroom.

Upstander activities and lessons for us in RISD have been curated by RISD staff. While other area school districts also utilize the Upstander program as a character education resource, the lessons and activities available for RISD students are specific to RISD.

  • Strategic planning and coordination with Museum Educators (who are certified Texas teachers) to align all Upstander resources and activities with the Texas Education Agency TEKS curriculum on character traits and the Richardson ISD Graduate Profile.
  • Access to personalized Upstander Portal with bi-weekly/monthly themed scope and sequence resource modules with ties to Upstander skills, literacy, writing, social studies, civics, and citizenship aligned with the Texas Education Agency TEKS curriculum on character traits and the Richardson ISD Graduate Profile.
  • Upstander Programs led by the Museum Educators (certified Texas teachers) for:
    • 2nd grade – Inspirations: An Upstander Shadow Puppet Theater
    • 4th grade – What is an Upstander? Featuring Texas state curriculum-aligned Texas Upstanders
    • 6th grade – Fieldtrip to the Museum
    • 7th grade – What is an Upstander? Featuring Texas state curriculum-aligned Texas Upstanders
    • 9th grade – Confronting Prejudice and Hatred
  • Professional development for RISD educators to implement these resources and activities in their classroom.
Upstander activities and lessons for us in RISD have been curated by RISD teaching and learning staff. While other area school districts also utilize the Upstander program as a character education resource, the lessons and activities available for RISD students are specific to RISD.

2024-2025 Upstander Partnership Grade Level Descriptions

Kindergarten to 2nd grade activities introduce Upstander skills, which include respect, communication, and community, by looking at what it means to be an Upstander using historical Upstanders. By using examples of Historical Upstanders, students will understand the positive impact they are able to make in their own communities. Activities include What is an Upstander, which uses historical examples to define an Upstander, and The Power of Community: Dallas, Texas that examines how Upstanders in Dallas worked to improve our community.

The focus of the 3rd-5th grade student activities is to build upon the introduction of Upstander skills by digging deeper into Upstander and bystander behaviors in relation to Upstander skills and TEA character traits. Students explore how one becomes an Upstander and the qualitiesthat Upstanders demonstrate through studying historical Upstanders. This grade band also explores how to create a community of Upstanders and encourages students to get involved in making their communities a better place. In addition, students learn about the qualities that Upstanders use to be good citizens. Students wrap up the school year by understanding that we can ALL be Upstanders!

The Upstander Partnership activities for 6th-8th grade focus on connecting Upstander skills and behavior to one’s personal role in the community. Activities focus on connecting community and Upstander skills to TEA character traits and English language arts writing TEKS and Social Studies civics and citizenship TEKS. Examples of activities include Upstander Communities where students discuss the concept that communities and how they can be Upstanders. Another activity in this grade band is Women Suffragists as Upstanders, which uses a variety of primary and secondary source documents, students will analyze the life of 3 American women as Upstanders to understand the power of women in American history.
9th grade Upstander Partnership modules tie together World and AP Human Geography curriculum with the Graduate Profile to build real world connections to Upstander skills. Through the activities, students bring together their knowledge of Upstander behaviors and put them into practice through exploring strategies for responsible and respectful discussion practices in the classroom, and reviewing the concept of courage by learning about how to recognize it in themselves and others through exploring historical Upstanders.

Outcome Goals

Through the Upstander program, RISD’s goals for students who participate include:

  • Increase in historical understanding
  • Increase in understanding of Upstander behavior
  • Building of Upstander skills:
    • Caring and empathy
    • Civics and good citizenship
    • Civil discourse and communication
    • Responsibility and trustworthiness
  • Strengthening connections between Texas state curriculum-aligned character traits, RISD Code of Civility, and RISD Graduate Profile

Parent Resources

Parents may view the Upstander activities/lessons specific to RISD at the following links:

Who To Contact

  • RISD specific upstander questions: Angie Lee – angie.lee@risd.org
  • Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum specific upstander questions or parent portal support: Charlotte Decoster – cdecoster@dhhrm.org
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