IN THIS ISSUE

Program Development: Destination R&R – Giving Thanks to Military Families
Faces of CC!: CC! Assembly Programs
Faces of CC!: Educational Programs Department
Character in the Curriculum: National Earth Science Week
Free Resources for Teachers: Free Books for Schools
Commentary by Michael Josephson: The Power of Words

ON THE SIDE

Announcements
CC! in the News: CC! in Action – Video Available for Download
Resource of the Month: WorldScapes – Join the Global Community
Did You Know? Waging War Over Wireless
Website Poll: Are We Teaching Children to Fear Men?
2007 Conference Dates and Training Programs

Program Development

Destination R&R – Giving Thanks to Military Families

Parenting is a tough job. Possibly the toughest job of your life. Imagine how much harder it becomes when you return wounded from active service. Simple things like picking your children up when they fall, helping them tie their shoe-laces, or simply being there for them become tougher than you believed possible.

The trauma of war remains long after the return home, impacting the lives of everyone involved. Physically and psychologically injured personnel face the prospect of months in rehabilitation, and family roles are constantly under pressure. Children wonder why their mommies or daddies have changed so much and why they are no longer like other parents. The pressure to carry on in the face of overwhelming adversity can crack even the happiest families.

Injured Military Personnel and Their Families Attended

While the physical and psychological needs of injured personnel are taken care of, this leads to more time away from their loved ones. Spouses may have to take on a new job to cope with the financial demands when the main breadwinner is unable to provide. Finding either the time or the money to be together as a family and focus on each other in a stress-free environment is often an impossibility.

The Blewitt Foundation
Rich Blewitt, chairman of Josephson Institute’s board of governors, set up The Blewitt Foundation to turn that into a reality.

Destination R&R is an all-expense-paid retreat for injured military personnel and their families. Applications are handled by the National Military Family Association (NMFA), a nonprofit group representing the interests of military personnel and their families. Applicants are asked to provide information detailing their combat wounds and physical and mental independence. Additionally, and more importantly, they’re asked how their injuries have affected their family life. One excerpt read “I have been a soldier since I was 17. My children have always seen me as a strong person involved in many sports. I am unable to do that anymore. My boys now see me as being handicapped in certain ways as I am unable to take care of myself.”

This summer, the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD, hosted one hundred very important guests. Prior to their arrival, staff attended sensitivity training to help them understand the special considerations required by the injured. How to assist without being over bearing, how to relate without being condescending, and how to ensure the atmosphere was truly recuperative.

An Emotional Thanks
“Never in my 24 years in hospitality management have we had the honor to serve a more well-deserved group,” Pete Mangione, general manager of the Turf Valley Resort, told us in a recent telephone interview. “Seeing people who have made such sacrifices with no regret was an incredibly moving experience,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

In addition to enjoying the resort amenities, the participants were introduced to the CHARACTER COUNTS! framework and the Six Pillars of Character. CC! national director Julie Dwyer said, “CC! permeated the environment and impacted those in attendance in very special ways.” In testimonials written by the children, the predominant experience was one of compassion. “I learned that other people care,” wrote one.

A Visit to the Orioles Game

More than 40 youth from 4 to 15 participated. Being with other families facing similar challenges, seeing others helping their daddies move around, watching others coping with how their mommy changed when she was away, and realizing there are so many people they can turn to when they feel at their lowest provided hope. That same youngster explained why it was important to learn that others care: “Because I didn’t feel that people cared before.”

A former Navy journalist, Blewitt knows only too well how the traumas and memories of war linger and intrude on lives just when they are trying to regain normalcy. Destination R&R is “a small token of appreciation to bring fun, hope, and smiles to faces that haven’t had that in a long time.”

R&R Courtesy of The Blewitt Foundation

Looking to the Future
The emphasis was on R&R, but there was also a chance to look to the future, something many hadn’t dared to do, struggling as they are with the challenges of the present. University of Maryland University College (UMUC) was on hand to provide computer training, help children set up websites, and offer advice on further education opportunities. Four lucky recipients were awarded a $5,000 education grant at the farewell dinner, and Connections Academy gifted a laptop computer to each family to help maintain the skills learned in Web design.

Too often the politics of war get in the way of the people involved. The Blewitt Foundation has created a program that gets to the heart of the matter by bringing together brave people who have selflessly served their country. You can see for yourself what a difference five days made to this year’s participants by watching The Blewitt Foundation video here.

Fun and Games with the Six Pillars of Character

We wish them well. If you would like to donate to The Blewitt Foundation to help them continue these essential and unique retreats, please visit their site.

Donations can also be sent to the Foundation at the following address:
The Blewitt Foundation, 23065 Tail Race Road, Aldie, VA 20105

What do you think? Post a response to this article in the CC! Local News Blog.

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that relects it." -- Edith Wharton, American Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (1862-1937)

Training

CC! Assembly Programs
Jumping around, yelling, singing at the top of their voices. Sounds like bad classroom management, but actually we encourage it.

CC! is partnering with several organizations to offer dynamic and energetic character-education programs that can be tailored to your school’s needs. This month we are highlighting two of those partners, Paul Tracey and Phil Baker. Each offers an original take on character education that brings the message of CC! to life in ways you would never expect.

Phil Baker transforms groups of pre-K through 12th grade students into a school of rock with “Character Rocks.” Emphasizing the values of the Six Pillars of Character through music, it can be adapted to a wide range of groups ranging from peer-leadership development to family sessions. We’re sure you’ll agree Baker’s programs hit all the right notes.

“I love performing for children because if I do it well enough, I can inspire others to great achievements.” So says Paul Tracey, who brings music and magic to his assembly programs for younger kids. Inspired by a musician who led an assembly program when he was a student, Tracey received a lifetime achievement award from the California Alliance for Arts Education. His character-education assembly is suitable for children in grades K-6.

A program assembly with one of these partners would be a great way to kick off your CC! Week events. Check out their websites for booking information.

Faces of CC!

Educational Programs Department

Kendric Shumaker, Kayli Moran & Maya Hill

Last year Josephson Institute organized more than 130 seminars, trainings, and workshops. Not one of them would have been possible without the dedication, expertise, and attention to detail of Kendric Shumaker, Kayli Moran, and Maya Hill – the Educational Programs Department.

Shumaker, Moran, and Hill are involved at every step of the way to ensure all of our training courses run smoothly. They maintain lists of CDS graduates, ensure the timely arrival of materials, speakers, and facilitators, and coordinate the graduate lists to help everyone keep in touch.

Here they talk about the antidote to greed, walking the walk and talking the talk, and remembering to send out thank-you notes (presumably to encourage greed’s antidote – generosity).

How do you define good character?
Kendric: Knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing right when wrong is easier.

Can such values be taught?
Kayli: We can inform others of certain values and encourage their importance, but ultimately it’s the individual’s choice to retain the lesson.

How do you gauge a person’s character?
Maya: By a person’s actions. Talk is cheap.
Kayli: By what someone does and does not do. What you allow, you encourage.
Kendric: By their actions.
(Ed.: We see a theme developing here…)

What (or who) is your idea of a role model?
Kendric: Role model is a term that has been cheapened by the media, which uses this title on anyone. It should be attached to an individual’s immediate sphere of influence such as a parent, teacher, or community leader. It’s within everybody’s reach to be a role model.

Do you consider yourself a role model?
Maya: Yes. Both my positive and negative characteristics can be a learning lesson for many.

Who is your hero and why?
Kayli: My coworkers because they have the patience to put up with me every day.

What is your favorite virtue?
Kendric: Generosity. If the root of all evil is greed, then its antidote must be the answer.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned?
Kayli: A friend once told me “Everyone deserves a second chance.” She passed away a few years ago. Whenever I don’t want to grant that second chance, I think of her and attempt to follow the guideline she set for her life.

What lesson would you like to learn?
Maya: Better time-management skills for life. I always spend too much time on some things and not nearly enough on others.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Kendric: Mr. Busteed, high school social studies teacher. Not only was he knowledgeable about his subject, but he treated me like an adult and with respect.

If you could change one thing about your character, what would it be?
Kendric: Be more generous.
Kayli: Patience… always patience.

If you could add one more subject to the school curriculum, what would it be?
Maya: How to Get a Job 101. A lot of young people have not learned valuable job-hunting skills such as resume writing and interviewing techniques, and they are lost when it comes to securing meaningful employment.

What is your biggest regret?
Kayli: Not sending out enough thank-you notes. It’s such a simple way to let people know how much you appreciate them.

"Life is never so bad at its worst that it is impossible to live; it is never so good at its best that it is easy to live." -- Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator (1890-1972)

Character in the Curriculum Tips Foundations for Life program offers free writing prompts, lesson plans, and cross-curricular connections based on character-related maxims that complement your existing programs. Learn more about Foundations for Life at www.FFL-essays.org. Monthly Lesson Plan: National Earth Science Week This year marks the tenth annual Earth Science Week. Learning about the planet and how to protect natural resources is a great opportunity for kids to experience firsthand the consequences of decisions they make and to ask “What could happen if we stop caring about the planet?” This month’s secondary lesson plan introduces students to the Arctic food chain, polar bears, and the impact of melting ice. Elementary students will explore the other side of the world, learning about the changing ice fields in Antarctica. Get the Elementary Lesson Plan Get the Secondary Lesson Plan > Find free Foundations for Life resources > Purchase Good Ideas books

 

Purple Planet was launched to spread the word of equality. If your school would like to receive a free copy of either book, visit the Purple People Books site and submit your request. The purple people will either send you a copy directly or contact a school that already has a copy through this initiative and ask that they send theirs to your school.

When your book arrives, your students’ responses can be posted online and your school can connect with others who have read the book. You can also research where the books have traveled on the Purple People site.

Commentary by Michael Josephson

Adapted from Michael Josephson's Gabriel Award-winning radio commentaries, airing Monday through Friday across the nation.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Commentary transcripts and audio files are archived here.

Subscribe to the free weekly commentary newsletter here.

Get Ready for National CC! Week – More Downloadable Resources and Exciting New Items in the Online Store

The number of downloadable resources for CC! Week reached 25 last month as the final installment was posted. Thanks to our partnership with ETA/Cuisenaire, we are able to take that total to 27.

They are offering CC! Week registrants the full text of Living with Llamas, one of the WorldScapes titles, along with a fantastic supplement with an activity for every day of CC! Week.

If you aren’t already familiar with the WorldScapes series, take a look at our Resource of the Month in this edition. The book and the activities are suitable for children in grades 3-6.

Now you can publish your plans for this year's Week on the CC! website. Just log in and click the link that says "post news".

Read more and download resources

View Chronicle archive

Do you have stories to share about character or character education? Please send them to ccnews@jiethics.org. E-mail your photos, too. We can use almost any format.

An Evening With Michael Josephson

Please join us for an evening with Michael Josephson at St. Genevieve High School in Panorama City, CA, on Tuesday, September 18, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

The focus of the evening will be on sportsmanship and character-building through athletic competition.

The program will be geared toward student-athletes, parents, coaches, and administrators. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public. St. Genevieve is located at 13967 Roscoe Boulevard in Panorama City.

Contact us at charactercountssports@jiethics.org for more information.

CEP National Schools of Character Award

Last month we announced the 2008 National Schools of Character Awards application process. This month we have more information to help you organize the necessary documents and prepare you for submission.

Feedback from previous years’ applicants is very positive regarding the process of gathering data for the application. Not only does it bring staff together as they work to maintain a portfolio of work for assessment, but by gathering both quantitative and qualitative evidence of the character-education program, schools are able to track the success of their initiative and receive detailed feedback.

If your school has had a character-education program since December 2004 at the latest (December 2003 if you are applying as a district), you are eligible to apply. In other words, individual schools must have been engaged in a character-education program for three full years and districts for four full years to be eligible.

The three-stage application process begins by submitting entries before December 3rd. They are then reviewed by CEP staff through February. In March applicants are notified of their status. Successful applicants at this stage will be visited by a two-person evaluation team from CEP. In May a panel of select character-education professionals meet to select the winners.

Visit the CEP site to read more and begin your application.

CC! in Action – Video Available for Download

Thanks to a gift from a generous donor, Josephson Institute has documented the benefits of schools using our CC! framework.

Located as we are in Los Angeles, it wasn’t hard for us to find a great team of cameramen and a fantastic producer to visit three schools implementing CC! You may remember from our June edition (CC! On Film, June 2007) the experiences of the team on their unusual assignment.

Accustomed to making corporate promotion videos, the opportunity to spend time with students at CC! schools prompted one to tell us he might consider changing jobs!

Click on the link to witness how character education has completely changed the environment in three Los Angeles schools -- an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.

All proceeds benefit CHARACTER COUNTS! and the nonprofit Josephson Institute.

The award-winning WorldScapes Series by ETA/Cuisenaire is an exclusive collection of fiction and nonfiction books designed to incorporate the Six Pillars of Character into your literacy curriculum.

You’ll find true accounts of inspirational role models, culturally diverse photo essays, and uplifting stories of friendship and achievement from around the globe.

Great for group work, these collections are conveniently packaged with six copies per title, teacher notes, and even a bin to hold the books.

A complete set of 180 books (6 copies of 30 titles) for grades 3-6 is available for $1,258.50, and sets of 90 books (6 copies of 15 titles) for grades 3-4 and 5-6 are available for $629.25.

Purchase securely online.

Are you innovating with our resources? Share your ideas and we'll publish them here. E-mail us at ccnews@jiethics.org.

Waging War Over Wireless

As America manifests itself as a wireless society, an unspoken rift is emerging between parents and educators. Despite rules regulating cell phone possession and use in educational institutions, parents continue to send their children to school with cell phones. 72% of children ages 13 to 17 have cell phones and analysts estimate that more than 10.5 million kids ages 8 to 12 will carry a cell phone by 2010.1 Yet, 81% of schools do not allow cell phone use.2

From a parent’s perspective, a cell phone is a “lifeline” in an emergency situation or a way to keep track of kids on their way to and from school. But kids don’t always use phones in the way intended by adults. Educators have seen a rise in cell phone-related misconduct, including everything from class disruption to cheating, picture taking to downloading inappropriate material.

Cell phone policies vary from school to school. For instance, New York City is known for its citywide ban on cell phones in public schools. Many schools have security checkpoints at which cell phones, in addition to weapons, are confiscated. However, students in Montgomery County, MD, a suburb of Washington D.C., are able to carry phones to school as long as they turn them off during school hours.3

In 2006, a group of parents sued the New York City Department of Education and Mayor Michael Bloomberg arguing that the cell phone ban “is so broad and blunt that it violates their constitutional rights as parents to keep their children safe and to raise them in the way they see fit.”4 In June of this year, the New York State Supreme Court upheld the cell phone ban in schools, but on September 10th the NYC City Council overrode Mayor Bloomberg’s veto of a law stating that kids could bring cell phones to school.

The distinction is slight, but important. Students may carry cell phones on their way to school, but they cannot have them on campus. However, parents and other opponents of the ban hope that the Council’s decision will help their chances for an appeal or at least force the administration to compromise by creating special storage areas for cell phones.5

In the past few weeks, the cell phone industry has unveiled its solution to the war over wireless: enhanced parental controls. For a few dollars a month, parents can log onto a website and regulate when and how their children’s phones can be used. AT&T is leading the industry with its new “Smart Limits” plan, which allows parents to block service between specific hours, regulate text-messaging, and control Internet access. Ideally, parental controls adopted on a large scale would release schools from having to fight a losing battle. As one parent involved in the NYC lawsuit commented, “[cell phones] are here to stay.”6

As the burden of regulating cell phone possession and use shifts from schools to parents, it’s imperative that parents teach their kids proper cell phone etiquette. Cell phones should be accompanied by lessons in responsibility and reinforced with parental controls.

1. Searcey, Dionne. Keeping Junior on a Wireless Leash. Wall Street Journal.
2. School Safety: Cell Phones, Camera Phones & Pagers. National School Safety and Security Services.
3. Carvin, Andy. Back to School: Don’t Forget Your Cellphone. Learning.Now. PBS Teachers.
4. Hartocollis, Anemona. School Cellphone Ban Violates Rights of Parents, Lawsuit Says. The New York Times.
5. Parents sue NYC schools over cell-phone ban. E-School News Online.
6. Associated Press. City Council Overrides School Cell Phone Veto. The Advocate.

Child advocates advise parents to avoid hiring male babysitters. Male athletic coaches are instructed never to touch players. Police departments teach children to seek out low-risk women, like pregnant mothers, when they’re lost.

Are we teaching our children to fear men?

a) Yes.
b) No.

Respond and see the results.

What Do You Think? If one has both a real-world spouse and a cyber-spouse, should it be considered marital infidelity? Yes. 75% No. 25% CHARACTER COUNTS! home

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Josephson Institute is working to create a world where decisions and behavior are guided by ethics.