About Us

Our mission at CSEE is to provide leading resources, expert voices, and an active forum for ethical growth and spiritual development in schools.

Services

Workshops & Conferences

CSEE offers national and regional events annually, on a variety of topics related to our mission. Presenters are nationally known figures and or seasoned veterans in the field. Regular events include...

  • Advising and Advisory Systems
  • Honor Codes and Honor Councils
  • Service Learning/Community Service
  • Teaching the World's Religions
  • Summer Ethics Institute for Adults
  • Annual Chaplains Conference
  • Spiritual Development for Children
Consultations

CSEE's consultants all have years of experience both working in schools and working in the field of their consultancy. For a reduced consultation price for CSEE member schools, our consultants help schools envision new possibilities, work through problems, or fine tune their existing programs.

Newsletters & Resources

CSEE has created and/or published curricular resources for independent schools in a variety of areas. Creating Classrooms and Homes of Virtue is used by scores of elementary schools throughout the country, as is the middle school ethics program, Applied Ethics.

In addition, CSEE publishes several newsletters for our members, and recommends books and other materials that our schools or consultants have found to be especially valuable. In a few cases, we have arranged marketing agreements that allow us to offer these resources at a reduced cost to member schools.

History

CSEE was founded in 1898 as an outreach of the Young Men's Christian Association. The organization separated from the YMCA by the middle of the 20th century, and became known as the Council for Religion in Independent Schools (CRIS).

The acronym CRIS was changed to CSEE—standing for Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education in the 1990s, as the United States was becoming increasingly pluralistic religiously, and as an increasing number of non-religiously affiliated schools sought membership for the quality of programs CRIS/CSEE offered for moral and spiritual development and ethical leadership.

Our most recent name change, from Council to "Center" for Spiritual and Ethical Education, was decided by unanimous vote of trustees in the summer of 2009, to reflect a sense of greater participation and sharing of resources.

Non-Discrimination Policy

CSEE's mission and philosophy disavow discrimination based on race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Our policies in this regard extend to all aspects of our programs, employment and services.

Photo Courtesy of
Atlanta Girls School