Shaping the Future of Character
Two days of ideas, connection, and tools to bring character education to the heart of your school or organisation.
The Australian Character Education Summit is back – and this time, we’re heading to Melbourne. Join us at Scotch College on 12-13 November 2026 for two days dedicated to the deliberate integration of character education into broader school curricula and organisational cultures.
The summit provides a unique opportunity for teachers, school leaders, and character champions from the not-for-profit, government, and corporate sectors to experience personal and professional growth. Participants can network with like-minded individuals and contribute to transforming our Australian institutions with greater sense of ethics, integrity, courage, and justice.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain insights and develop practical tools to foster character development in young people through keynote speeches, panel discussions and interactive workshops led by experts in the field
The 2026 program is taking shape. Expressions of interest are welcome from anyone keen to present a keynote, workshop, or panel discussion. Please contact keith.barks@informa.au
Speaker Interviews
Australian Character Education Summit Alliance – Purpose & Goals
“Good character education is good education.”
Marvin Berkowitz
The Australian Character Education Summit (ACES) Alliance exists to bring together individuals, schools, universities, industry, not-for-profit and other institutions who are passionate about fostering virtuous character education and nurturing the flourishing of human goodness. The Alliance is a network of practitioners and leaders committed to sharing insights, pooling resources and shaping the future of character education in Australia. ACES stakeholder individuals, organisations and institutions will collaborate to ensure the continued success of the biennial ACES.
Goals of the ACES Alliance;
- Create a community of practice where educators and industry leaders can connect, collaborate and learn together about Character and Character Education.
- Build shared understanding and value for the role of character and character education in shaping lives and flourishing communities.
- Celebrate and promote diversity in character education by recognising the many philosophies, traditions and practices shaping Australian educational institutions.
- Be inclusive of all schools and systems, ensuring that every sector is empowered to engage in and champion character education.
- Share best practice and research at the Australian Character Education Summit, nationally and globally.
- Foster partnerships across schools, universities and industry to strengthen research and practice in character education.
- Contribute to the national and international debate on the goals of education and the importance of holistic assessment.
If you or your school/institution is interested in joining the ACES Alliance please contact David Idstein dfi@kings.edu.au
ACES ALLIANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
| David Brown | Secretary | Dean of Students | Scotch College Melbourne |
| Dr Hugh Chilton | Committee member | Head of ScotsX | The Scots College |
| Lucy Dalleywater | Committee member | Director of Activities | Frensham Schools |
| Dr Bernardo León de la Barra | Research Fellow | Honorary Research Fellow | Former University of Tasmania academic |
| Fiona Devlin | Committee member | Deputy Principal and Head of Plenty Campus | Ivanhoe Grammar School |
| Kristina Garla | Committee member | Marketing and Communications | Ivanhoe Grammar School |
| Peter Gibson | Committee member | Head of Character Education | Barker College |
| Dr Adam Hendry | Committee member | Assistant Principal – Learning | Parramatta Marist High School |
| David Idstein | Chair | Director Character and Leadership | The King’s School |
| Dr Fiona Isaacs | Committee member | Chaplain – Director of Christian Faith and Values | Tara Anglican School for Girls |
| Michael Ilott | Committee member | Director of Senior School, Xavier College | Xavier College |
| Aaron McDonald | Committee member | Principal – South Cluster | Youth off the Streets |
| Dr Andrew Mansfield | Committee member | Deputy Head, Operations | Shore School |
| Katrina New | Committee member | Head of Senior School | Marsden Park Anglican College |
| Steve Owen | Committee member | Deputy Principal – Head of Senior School | Oran Park Anglican College |
Testimonials
“ACES 2025 was an excellent forum to bring together educators from various sectors, whose common goal is not just academic success, but more importantly development of character. It served as a reminder that all the work we do in planting the seeds of resilience, integrity and compassion is worthwhile, and indeed necessary for the young people of today, giving us hope for a better future for our society.”
“The Australian Character Education Summit was an inspiring couple of days packed with inspiring keynote speakers, honest case studies and an exciting vision for the future of education in Australia. These are vital conversations which, as educators, we should all be having for the greater benefit of the young people in this country, and it was invigorating to be a part of such a large gathering of like-minded people from the education sector.”
“The summit provided space for reflection, dialogue, and practical strategies, leaving us reenergized to embed character at the heart of our educational mission.”
Adele Ramsay – Principal of Tara Anglican School for Girls
“The Australian Character Education Summit was an affirming and inspiring experience for our team. At Pared schools, character education sits at the heart of our mission. This summit provided an opportunity to connect with others, deepen our understanding and reflect on our practice. From the insightful speakers to the thoughtful programming, every element of the event reinforced the importance of forming students not just academically but as people of virtue and purpose. We left feeling supported and re-energized in our commitment to character education.”
“The Australian Character Education Summit is a must-attend event. The breadth of experience on offer was invaluable and to connect with other like-minded educators was greatly appreciated. Get along to 2026!”
“What a fascinating, and at times, thought-provoking conference. Thank you to the organizers and participants. I will be thinking about ‘character education’ for months to come. It is critically important, and this conference reinforced where attention in education needs to be: each and every individual young person needs to be given the opportunities to flourish.”
“The first Australian Character Education Summit was extremely well organized and informative. It included cutting-edge information from leading academics within the field of character and virtues. The workshops provided invaluable knowledge regarding the implementation and structuring of Character Education within a school context, and the atmosphere was collegiate and friendly. I would highly recommend the 2026 Summit to all those interested.”
Session Sketchnotes
A selection of Sketchnotes from the 2025 Australian Character Education Summit.
by Matthew Handley, Xavier College, Melbourne
ACES Alliance
Exhibitors
ACES Alliance Networking Dinner
This dinner will bring together educators, school leaders, researchers, industry partners, and Heads of ACES Alliance Schools to share insights, strengthen partnerships, and shape the future of character education in Australia.
ACES 2026
12-13 November 2026
Scotch College Melbourne
If you would like to be involved in the 2026 Australian Character Education Summit please contact keith.barks@informa.com.au
A unique convergence of networking and learning
- Learn from Australian and international keynote speakers in the field of character education across schools, government, and not-for-profit sectors.
- Take part in a range of workshops and lecture streams exploring the diversity of character education.
- Get practical tools and guidance from our summit sponsors in the exhibition.
- Make and renew connections at our summit social events, including a welcome event and conference dinner.
Venue and Program
The 2025 Australian Character Education Summit will be held at The King’s School in Parramatta.
The program is currently under development. We’re excited to receive expressions of interest from individuals or groups interested in presenting keynote presentations, workshops, or small group symposia/panel discussions. For more information please contact keith.barks@informa.com.au
Sponsorship and Exhibition
The summit will feature sponsorship and exhibition opportunities.
Register your interest
Register your interest now and we’ll let you know when agenda is announced. Click here to leave your details.
2025 Summit Photo Gallery
