The youth of Birmingham, Alabama are in for a surprise. Recently, representatives from local schools, businesses, and community organizations convened for one sole purpose: to spread character education throughout the community.
CHARACTER COUNTS! works best when it is ubiquitous. Kids learn about the Six Pillars of Character in the classroom, but it’s important that the message is reinforced in sports and after-school programs, in the home, and in the job market. Birmingham is determined to succeed.
The CC! Character Development Seminar was sponsored by Alabama Power, McWane, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Compass Bank, Honda of Alabama, LLC, and BE&K, Inc. These companies view character education as an investment in the ethical conduct of their future workers.
Dr. Robert Holmes, Alabama Power senior vice president of ethics and corporate concerns and vice president of the Josephson Institute Board of Governors, spoke to the participants about his passion for character education and its necessity in the youth environment. Holmes was joined in his enthusiasm by fellow JI Board Member Peggy Sparks, founder of Sparks Consulting, Inc.
Schools involved in the training included Birmingham City Schools, Hill Elementary School, Madison City Schools, and Madison County Schools. Each school sent multiple participants, which allowed them to take advantage of the “Creating a Vision and a Plan” activity when brainstorming implementation goals and ideas.
Other groups included the A. G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club and Miles College, where professors plan to teach future educators the importance of character education and how to incorporate the CC! framework in the classroom.
Participants had a great time interacting with others from the Birmingham community. They were excited to go out into the city and make it a place for character education and CC!
