Our Centers for Ethics:

Get started: Activity ideas for schools

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Join in the fun!

Here are a few ways to bring the Six Pillars to life at your school. Many of these activities are popular during CHARACTER COUNTS! Week. But there's more to CHARACTER COUNTS! than fun and games. If you're serious about implementing a sustainable character education program, consider attending one of our Character Development Seminars or schedule an in-service workshop and CC! will come to you. In the meantime, be sure to check out our Lesson Plan Bank and the materials we offer in the online store.

Schoolwide activities

• Word/trait of the month/week
• Morning announcements
• Posters
• Pride campaigns
• Mottos/slogans
• Quotations of the week
• Library exhibits and booklets
• Codes and rules of conduct
• Pledges
• Theme assemblies
• Awards and prizes
• Contests
• Ceremonies and rituals
• Cafeteria "table tents" and signs
• Recognition wall for student achievement
• Hallway displays
• Student/faculty task forces
• Six Pillars of Character clubs
• Faculty trainings/discussions
• Parent meetings/workshops
• Parent/faculty task forces
• Peer counseling/mentoring
• Cross-age tutoring/mentoring
• School service projects
• Community service projects
• Charity fundraisers
• Student-designed T-shirts
• School murals
• Authorized positive graffiti/tagging walls

Classroom activities

• Character-building lessons integrated into regular coursework
  (See the CHARACTER COUNTS! Lesson Plan Bank.)
• Special modules added to existing courses
• Separate courses added to curriculum
• Special pre-semester or weekend programs
• Personal assignments
• Reading (see our book list)
• Personal journal keeping
• Essay writing
• Coat of arms creations
• Personal mission statements

Individual or group projects

• Cartoon drawing
• Original quotations
• Picture books (for younger children)
• Poster making
• Song writing and performing
• Play writing and performing
• Video making
• Commercial writing
• Journalistic-style interviews
• Speech presentations

Extra-curricular activities

• Student government
• Service clubs
• Sports programs
• Cheerleader/drill teams
• Band/choir/drama groups
• Newspaper/yearbook programs

Improving school climate

• Heavy emphasis on modeling by adults and student leaders
• Written rules and expectations for students, faculty, administrators and parents
• Training for all staff, from bus drivers to district superintendents
• Committees and task forces involving teachers and other staff, parents, and students
• Playground and recess activities
• Rules and expectations
• Monitoring and enforcement

Anti-bullying strategies
(Access our anti-bullying resources and learn about CC! anti-bullying workshops.)

Nonathletic youth activities

• Rules of conduct/ statements of expectations for youth, parents and adult leaders
• Peer and cross-age mentoring
• Exercises on decision making based on the Six Pillars
• Newsletters
• Songs
• Assemblies and conferences
• Contests
• Prizes and awards
• Ceremonies
• Displays and distribution of CHARACTER COUNTS! posters, banners and other materials
• Adult leader trainings
• Youth leader trainings

Sports leagues

• Rules of conduct/ statements of expectations for players, parents, coaches, referees
• Pre- and post-season parent meetings
• Game-related instruction
• Prizes and awards
• Short discussions during each practice
• Postgame rituals

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Please share your ideas and news of your activities. Send email and photos to CCNews@jiethics.org or to:

CHARACTER COUNTS! National Office
Attn: Creative Services Dept.
9841 Airport Blvd., #300
Los Angeles, CA 90045