Virginia 4-H has participated in CHARACTER COUNTS! for over eight years, since close to its inception, and the results have been impressive.

The partnership began in October 1994, when the Collegiate 4-H Club of Virginia Tech, assisted by an extension 4-H specialist, worked with the first youth focus group in the nation using CC!. Special guests for the day included Michael Josephson as well as Tom Selleck, movie star and great supporter of CC!. The following spring, 1995, six members of the Collegiate 4-H Club and its advisor, Robert Ray Meadows, conducted a training with CC! at the National Collegiate 4-H Conference on the campus of Texas A&M University for students and advisors from some 30 states. In 1997, the State 4-H Congress featured CC! training for 654 teen and adult delegates. A total of 74 counties and cities had teams trained in the curriculum.

During the 1999 session of the Virginia General Assembly, a legislator introduced a bill to provide character education in all state public schools. This statute passed and the governor signed it. It provided no financial support, but with the success of the trainings and the character education law, Virginia 4-H created a plan to answer the need for character education in partnership with the state CHARACTER COUNTS!.

Joe Hunnings, of Virginia 4-H, notes that the plan has now achieved the following:

• School System Involvement — To date, over 50 school systems throughout the state are connected with Virginia 4-H in the CC! program.

• Student Involvement — A total of 87,147 youths took part in 4-H/CHARACTER COUNTS! during the 2001-2002 year.

• Well-Trained Faculty — 4-H committed to have extension agents from each district attend the national CC! training. These individuals would then serve as the district 4-H/ CC! captains, coordinating the training in their districts. To date, more than 18 individuals have participated in the national training.

• Statewide Train-the-Trainer Program — A three-day 4-H/CC! volunteer training has taken place each year since 1999. More than 325 adults from throughout the state have received intensive training in CC! and techniques for working with school systems, civic organizations, youth serving agencies, and others. National trainers such as Peggy Adkins, Mark Britzman and Lloyd Hackley have led workshops each year at this event. Attendees “pay back” for their training by assisting counties and cities within their districts. Participants work in teams to market the 4-H/CC! program to non-users, assist new programs and energize stalled ones.  These trainings have resulted in over 1,000 presentations on 4-H/CC! to school systems, civic groups and youth organizations throughout the state.

• Statewide 4-H/CC! Conference — In 2001 and 2002, Virginia 4-H sponsored and organized a statewide conference on character education, featuring CC!. Collaborators included the Virginia Department of Education and numerous exhibitors. The 300-plus participants included not only teachers, guidance counselors and school administra- tors, but individuals who work with youth in many settings. Among the guest speakers were Michael Josephson, Don Peslis, and Mike Thompson. The conference brought attention to Virginia 4-H’s character education efforts and hiked enrollment in the trainings.

• Sportsmanship Seminar — Virginia 4-H, the Virginia High School League and CHARACTER COUNTS! Sports cosponsored a Sportsmanship Seminar in Charlottesville Virginia on February 5-6, 2003. Athletic officials and youth development professionals from high schools, universities, YMCA and Extension received the training.

• Honorary Chair — The wife of a former lieutenant governor, Mrs. Margaret Hager, has become the honorary chair of 4-H/CC! for the Commonwealth of Virginia and works actively on its behalf. In 2002, State Senator John Edwards sponsored legislation to recognize Michael Josephson and Virginia 4-H for their efforts to further character education in the Commonwealth.

• Brochure — 4-H sent a brochure on CC! to every superintendent of schools, advocating involvement. Members of the 4-H Leadership and Personal Development Curriculum Committee designed the mailer, and as a result of it, numerous additional schools sent staff to CC! training.

• Evaluation — Virginia 4-H has conducted an in-school evaluation of the 4-H/CC! program for two years. Data reported by teachers clearly show positive changes in behavior that teachers attribute to CHARACTER COUNTS!.

• Summer 4-H Camp — Summer 4-H program staff at all six of Virginia’s 4-H educational centers receive training in CC! and implement it with over 16,000 participants during the summer camping season at Virginia’s six 4-H educational centers. As a result, referral problems at camp have declined throughout the state.

• Website — A website now assists agents, volunteers and trainers with the latest information on Virginia’s 4-H/CC! program. To view it, go to: http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/character/adult/index.html

• Agent Character Training — Extension agents received training in the youth/ livestock, character education curriculum developed by LSU. Agents received copies of the curriculum and have trained adults and youth in the use of the material. Agents have trained 4-H livestock and horse club volunteer leaders to incorporate the curriculum into club activities.