BeTempered Episode 121 –  More Than a Motivational Assembly

 A principal told us something we couldn’t unhear: “These kids don’t have any grit.”  

Not as an insult, but as a reality check.  

In this episode, Ben Spahr, Dan Schmidt, and Shawn Ruebush break down the BeTempered Standard, a new character-based development program designed to help students build resilience, self-awareness, confidence, discipline, empathy, and real connection.  

The program is built around a 10-week series tied to the 10 letters in Be Tempered. Each letter represents a real choice students face, from Broken vs. Belief and Ethics vs. Entitlement to Empathy vs. Exclusion, Purpose vs. Pointless, and Discipline vs. Distraction.  

This isn’t a one-time motivational assembly. The workshops are interactive, small-group based, and designed around reflection, real conversation, and challenges students carry with them between sessions.

  For the 2026-2027 school year, the pilot program launches at Tri-County North High School in Lewisburg, Ohio, and Preble Shawnee Middle School in Camden, Ohio. The groups intentionally bring together high-performing students and students who may be struggling, creating an environment where different experiences and perspectives can challenge and strengthen one another. 

 At the high school level, students will ultimately take what they’ve learned and build a leadership-style day featuring breakout sessions and student stories, moving from personal growth into leadership and school culture.  

Ben, Dan, and Shawn also explain the creation of the BeTempered Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built to support scholarships, the program, and future expansion as they learn from the pilot year. 

 If you’re an educator, parent, coach, mentor, or simply someone who believes stronger communities start with stronger young people, this episode is for you.