When a Guatemalan mother walked out on her four children, her farm worker husband had to raise them. He stayed home to care for his four-year-old daughter when she got the chickenpox, and lost his job. So he had to beg for food in the streets.

Students at Boynton Beach High School heard his story and took action. Victor Baten and over 10 others in his Spanish honors class gathered $200 for the family, as well as clothes, school supplies, and toys. They shipped four boxes to them and wired the money.

"I come from a family that lived in El Salvador, which is next door to Guatemala, and was very poor," Victor told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "We're living comfortably now, fortunately. I know these countries need help, so I thought why not help them? In the long run I'd like to give something back."

That spirit led the South Florida Sun-Sentinel to select him in July 2005 as a CHARACTER COUNTS! kid for kindness in the Palm Beach County School District.

Whittier Elementary School, which in October 2004 gave a presentation that earned a standing ovation from the JI Board of Governors, is one of 18 finalists in the Character Education Partnership's (CEP) National Schools of Character program. It will receive the award in October, 2005, at the CEP's National Forum in Atlanta.

"We consider this quite an honor," says counselor Heather Quill.

"Our program continues to be blessed daily with small miracles from everyday heroes," she said in May 2005. "Just last week a young soldier arrived at our school a few short weeks after being badly injured in a roadside bombing in Tikrit. His left arm is quite damaged from shrapnel and he has shrapnel lodged in his back and legs. Yet he arrived stateside and traveled to the class of second graders who have been writing to him. They had many questions about the 'bad' people who did this. The entire world should have heard his brave and open-minded replies. He spoke to the class about understanding the perspective of others and that people are not bad or wrong; they need help in understanding each others points of view and communicating without violence. A lesson these second graders are sure to remember all of their lives!"

She also describes a very interesting program in which kids and soldiers interact and reinforce each other. In February 2005, she says, "We heard from a group of young soldiers in the 114th Signal Battalion. They had heard about what we were doing and wanted to give back to our school. Their morale was low. One had been injured in Korea, and many were hurt by the portrayal of military in the media. These young men did not see themselves as heroes. Their sergeant came to school and we developed a plan to support our kids and his (:))! The soldiers have been coming to recess to act as role models and develop character RIGHT ON THE PLAYGROUND! We have approximately 130 kids per grade, so recess is huge. Many conflicts develop and it can be difficult for our staff to intervene with each incident in the manner we would like. (We believe in talking things out with all parties involved and developing strategies for positive interaction.) I'm not sure who has a better time at recess, the soldiers or the kids! Kids can't wait for "soldier" days, and the soldiers brag that everyone comes down to their shop to see the cards and letters the kids bestow upon them each week.

"Character education continues in every aspect of our lives. As I told my staff, no award could truly reflect the excellence demonstrated in our school each day."

Character-building can take place anywhere, and it was certainly at home at 4-H Fair Camp at the Prince William County Fair over August 15-19, 2005.

In the Show Barn, 4-H youth education coordinator Sharon Race taught kids to make character color wheels, using the Six Pillar colors. They colored Trustworthy" sections blue ("true blue"), for instance, and Respect sections yellow ("the golden rule").

Community groups and schools also use CC!, and it seems to be working. According to a reporter for the Potomac News & Journal Messenger, "No matter what the [4-H] kids chattered about, there were no bad attitudes, no swearing or even talk of activities like video games.

It was standing room only for the Pursuing Victory With Honor seminar on August 16, 2005, as more than 500 people crowded into the Grants High School cafeteria.

Though attendance was mandatory for athletes and their parents at three local schools, the turnout still overwhelmed both Robert Zayes, spokesman for the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA), and Elmer Chavez, athletic director of the Grants/Cibola County District. "It is really great to see all of you folks here tonight," Mr. Zayes said.

People were still entering through the doors as the lights dimmed, the crowd grew quiet, and the NMAA started its video on PVWH.

It began with a brief segment from Gary Tripp, the executive director of the NMAA. Mr. Tripp outlined the three goals of the NMAA: 1) top-notch state tournaments; 2) fast feedback to coaches, administrators, parents and students; and 3) Pursuing Victory with Honor.

The video presentation explained PVWH and the Six Pillars in detail. It also showed clips of teams and individuals conducting themselves badly, and discussed them. "It all starts with the professional athletes. Almost every day, we see this poor behavior on the television," said Mr. Zayes. "And then the media feeds off if it, and this is what today's youth see."

The meeting lasted two hours, and the audience, according to the Cibola County Beacon, "remained focused on the message that was being delivered."