"Everything we do can relate to CHARACTER COUNTS! in some way," says Dave Magee, a TAPS who works with middle-schoolers and teens. The CYS tries to embed CHARACTER COUNTS! in all programming, wherever feasible, for the 200 kids it works with every day.

Like many other caregivers, Mr. Magee urges fusing CHARACTER COUNTS! into the daily experience, rather than presenting it in its own time period. "We can focus on the Pillars in even the simple routine things the kids are required to do, like signing in and out of rooms they do things in," he said.

The CYS has rallies and has held CHARACTER COUNTS! Week activities every year since 1999. It also carries out activities from the CHARACTER COUNTS! book Good Ideas to Help Young People Develop Good Character. However, caregivers often make them more age-appropriate, challenging or exciting, so older kids don't look down on them as juvenile. Mr. Magee also notes that "with middle and teens, it's hard to implement programs. It's best to have them feel like it's their idea."

Mr. Magee said that CHARACTER COUNTS! blends well with 4-H and Boys & Girls Club activities. As an example of a tie-in with Boys & Girls Clubs, the Torch Club and Key Stone often use a Pillar-related activity to open meetings.

Moreover, said Mr. Magee, "CHARACTER COUNTS! gave us a purpose for our sports program. A youth sports program isn't about sports. It's about building character. We emphasize that point with the coaches." He attended a one-day CC! sports training in Chapel Hill, where he "got a lot of good information." The CYS has instituted the CHARACTER COUNTS! Code of Ethics for Players, Parents and Officials in all its sports programs. Though all coaches must have certification through the National Association of Youth Sports (NAYS), at Fort Bragg they must also have CHARACTER COUNTS! instruction. Mr. Magee developed an additional half-hour of CHARACTER COUNTS! training and now their teens do the training for the coaches. The coaches are volunteers and primarily work with SA and young teens.