Paying tribute to those lost in the 9/11 tragedy and honoring Americans’ courageous response to it, people across the country celebrated American Character Week, September 6-17, 2002, by performing acts of goodwill, community service and by recognizing those who demonstrate the highest qualities of character.
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Firefighters at Station #3
in East Los Angeles display their support of American Character Week,
September 2002. |
September 11, 2001 was a turning point in our nation’s history. What could have been a mortal blow to the spirit of America became a galvanizing force for good. And that is what American Character Week (ACW) was all about — communities and individuals responding to adversity with courage, compassion and a renewed sense of public service. “9/11 changed me completely as a person. I am more aware of making a positive contribution to better our world,” said Jeni Boulanger, activities director at Cobalt Middle School in Victorville, California. “American Character Week provided me with purpose — the vehicle — in which to spread the importance of character to my students.”
Kicking off the event, national CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition staff and law enforcement officials held a press conference in Los Angeles, unveiling the Proclamation to Celebrate the American Character (see text link at left) and calling on participants to “honor and celebrate the countless acts of courage, compassion, loyalty, responsibility and other qualities that represent the best in human nature.” The Coalition provided materials and activity ideas free of charge to schools and community groups in an effort to teach young people about extraordinary Americans, provide volunteer opportunities and encourage a lifelong commitment to public service.
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From performing hundreds of hours of volunteer service to staging plays focusing on the Six Pillars of Character, participants creatively adapted and implemented CC! activity ideas with dynamic results. “One of the most impressive things to me was the fact that so many individuals from so many different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds all have the same love for America and its common values,” said Bob Conlon, director of student support services, Fort Bend Independent School District, Sugarland, Texas. Echoing his sentiments, Judith A. Maglio, special projects manager for Marion County Public Schools in Ocala, Florida said of ACW: “We became a community with one voice. We discovered that everyone could be a stakeholder, and shared responsibility became a viable passion for everyone.”
Endorsed by more than 500 educational, governmental and youth-serving organizations, ACW was a collaborative effort designed to directly impact all involved. Highlights of the 12-day event included:
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A county-wide, televised sing-along of “God Bless America” by 350,000 students in Miami-Dade County, Florida
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Food and blood drives throughout the country, as well as locally-conceived community service projects to help the elderly and disadvantaged, such as the Orphan’s Fund
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Testimonials from 9/11 survivors — including U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-IN), who was in the Pentagon, Kevin Danni, who was in the World Trade Center, and Red Cross volunteers, who spent 180 days at Ground Zero — detailing both the harrowing events of that day and the heroic efforts of so many “ordinary heroes”
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The week-capping, nationwide simultaneous recitation of The Pledge of Allegiance on September 17
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| American Character Week
comes to town! (Visalia, CA) _______________________________________________ |
American Character Week brought together schools, businesses and communities to honor heroes and pay tribute to victims and volunteers. But what happens after the Week may be the event's greatest achievement. From Maine to California teachers are incorporating character education and public service into their regular curriculums, and students and community groups are focusing on year-round projects to help the needy. For example, as a result of ACW, one student group has issued an ongoing “community service challenge,” urging students to complete 30 hours of volunteer service by May 2003; another school is featuring a new community service project each month, such as a winter coat drive; and another is hosting a quarterly series of service-learning activities to introduce students to careers in public service. “American Character Week helped us realize how important it is that we work together, help our fellow man and show respect for things for which this country stands,” Ms. Boulanger concluded. “I hope to participate in it every year.”
American Character Week: Survey Results
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| Kids at Marina West School in Oxnard,
California show their true colors during American Character Week 2002. _______________________________________________ |
First, the CC! national office would like to thank all who participated in American Character Week and the follow-up survey. Your efforts are most appreciated!
In order to assess the impact, structure and activities of American Character Week, and because we are continually striving to make our events the best they can be, we asked for your input. And this is what you told us:
Who participated?
- 75.8% were from schools, K-12
- 18.9% were from youth-serving organizations, government, fire and police departments, and other organizations
- 38.7% were not previously associated with CHARACTER COUNTS! (this was their introduction!)
- 59.4% were members of or already affiliated with the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition
Resources used:
- 83% used free materials from the CC! website
- 95.7% rated the quality, usefulness and effectiveness of the resources gleaned from the CC! website as good or excellent
- 75.7% also made their own materials and projects
- 21.5% purchased CC! materials
- 86.4% of those who purchased materials rated them good or excellent
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| Giving gifts to the needy at Girls and
Boys Town, national headquarters at the Village of Boys Town, Nebraska. _______________________________________________ |
Participation in the Pledge Across America:
- 71.8% participated
Should ACW be an annual event?
- 88.7% said yes
The goals of ACW were:
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To discuss the lives of Americans of extraordinary character
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To recognize local individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary character
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To teach young people about and encourage them to consider careers in public service
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To provide opportunities for students to participate in community service and volunteer projects
How did ACW participants meet these goals and how did individual groups' goals differ?
- The majority of participants felt that the core goals were met and committed to CC!'s concept that the learning process and activities need to be ongoing in order to truly achieve understanding, participation and success.
- Most groups strove to achieve the same four goals listed above — differences arose only in areas of emphasis. For example, many placed emphasis on citizenship, patriotism, tolerance and peace.
- Groups were very creative in meeting these goals and are continuing to do so through ongoing public service projects.
- Impediments to achieving goals during ACW that participants mentioned were lack of time for preparation due to the proximity of ACW to the start of the school year and not enough awareness of the event (especially in the national media).
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| Volunteers at Ohio Northern University
in Ada, Ohio, before a football game during which local emergency
personnel and fire fighters were special guests of the day. _______________________________________________ |
How did ACW impact organizations and communities? Some sample responses:
- "It encouraged our staff and students to look at their character as others might see them and what areas we need to improve."
- "Our students were drawn closer together as a group and expressed their patriotism."
- "I think a feeling of solidarity was clearly evident in our school district. Staff and students realized how important democracy is and how lucky they are to live here."
- "It did help us stop and think what it means to be an American and how fortunate we are. It helped us realize how important it is that we work together, help our fellow man and show respect for the things for which this country stands."
- "It really brought the school together and gave them the opportunity to participate in activities across the disciplines: social studies, English, etc. The focus was positive rather than just fearfully reliving the events of 9/11/01."
- "Our students can articulate what character is — something that not all could do before. The activities pulled our staff together by working toward one goal. It helped all of us understand what good character means."
Again, thanks to all who participated in ACW and especially those who took the time to share their ideas and give us feedback. We look forward to making ACW an annual event and to furthering the goals that are behind it.
