Our Centers for Ethics:

CHARACTER COUNTS! 4.0 Seminars

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Quick answers to commonly asked questions

• What are the benefits of taking a CHARACTER COUNTS! 4.0 Seminar?
• What new skills will I have as a 4.0 Seminar graduate?
  
• What does 4.0 Seminar certification mean?
• Who should attend a 4.0 Seminar?
• What special discounts are available?
• Can you customize a 4.0 Seminar for my school or community?
• Can I get graduate credit for a 4.0 Seminar?

What are the benefits of taking a 4.0 Seminar?

• Personal attention in small classes
• Practical materials, including: a CD-ROM library of presentation slides, a book of original lesson plans and activity ideas, the popular booklet Making Ethical Decisions, reproducible handouts, and evaluation tools
• The deep experience of the diverse 4.0 Seminar faculty
• Graduate credit — read more »
• Official certification as a Character Development Seminar Graduate
• Ability to reproduce CC! copyrighted materials with permission
• Monthly newsletter full of information on best practices, new ideas, funding tips and more

What new skills will I have as a 4.0 Seminar graduate?

• Strengthen your teaching skills and your grasp of character education’s theories and methods.
• Demonstrate to teachers how character education improves the learning environment and frees more time for coursework.
• Build a collaborative network among educational, youth-serving, and community organizations.
• Train others to have a greater impact on the lives and success of youth.
• Develop character-building activities for existing curricula, extracurricular activities, and sports programs.
• Respond effectively to challenges from students, parents, and colleagues.
• Benefit from the continuing consulting support of the national CHARACTER COUNTS! office.
• Improve your ability to teach, enforce, advocate, and model (T.E.A.M.) good character.
• Gain knowledge of how to use CHARACTER COUNTS! tools and how to develop or adapt new materials as needed.

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What does 4.0 Seminar certification mean?

• The CHARACTER COUNTS! 4.0 Seminar certifies you to train others within your organization, solely for the purpose of establishing or strengthening the CC! program at your school or youth-service facility.
• You are welcome to promote that you are CHARACTER COUNTS! 4.0 certified.
• Certified CC! 4.0 trainers are not allowed to charge for training services, nor represent the CC! organization as a consultant or trainer for hire, nor conduct a similar 4.0 Seminar.
• You must email or fax in a permision form if you plan to use the "CHARACTER COUNTS!" and "Six Pillars of Character" trademark on a brochure, flyer, website, materials, etc.

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Who should attend a 4.0 Seminar class?

• We recommend that you send:
  • Representatives from your organization who have different job functions or work in different departments, to provide more perspectives and help implement your CC! initiative with consistency.
  • Five to 10 percent of your staff within a 12- to 24-month period. This helps advance your sustainability goals, and spreads the enthusiasm!
• Individuals who are leaders among their peers
• Creative people who can take a general framework and apply it to your specific needs
• Motivators who can make things happen
• Strong communicators who can train others

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What special discounts are available?

• Earlybird discount: Enroll 30 days or more prior to the course and receive a $50 discount.
• Coalition Membership discounts: Enroll 30 days or more prior to the course and receive a $100 discount. If you don’t enroll that early, you still receive unlimited $50 scholarships toward enrollment.

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Can you customize a 4.0 Seminar for my school or community?

Instead of sending individuals to an open-enrollment 4.0 Seminar, your school, organization, or community can customize its own local 4.0 Seminar. Bringing a 4.0 Seminar to your community earns you a per-person discount on tuition and dramatically cuts travel costs for your staff. Here are some general guidelines:

• The ideal class size is 35, with a mix of 25 school teachers, administrators, and staff and 10 community-based agency representatives.
• The class should reflect the diversity of the community.
• All participants should possess strong communication skills.
• The participants should compete for a spot in the seminar or be screened to ensure that they are willing and able to implement what they learn and train others.
• The content can be customized for such special audiences as schools for the deaf, juvenile corrections facilities and U.S. military child care programs.

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Can I get graduate credit for a 4.0 Seminar?

Yes! Teachers can receive an hour or more of graduate credit for attending a 4.0 Seminar. Credits are generally used for teacher certification and salary-enhancement purposes. Consult with your academic program first if you plan to transfer the credit to a degree program. View a list of participating universities »

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