Our Centers for Ethics:

Get started: Activity ideas for schools

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Join in the fun!

• 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

• Personal assignments

• Reading (books/stories)

• 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

In the classroom

• Character-building lessons integrated contextually into regular coursework

• Special modules added to existing courses

• Separate courses added to curriculum

• Special pre-semester or weekend programs

In extra-curricular activities

• Student government

• Service clubs

• Sports programs

• Cheerleader/drill teams

• Band/choir/drama groups

• Newspaper/yearbook programs

Developing a school-wide climate

• Heavy emphasis on modeling

• 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, modeling and enforcement

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 and rituals

• 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 e-mail and photos to CCNews@jiethics.org or to:

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