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Our Program

CHARACTER COUNTS! is a framework, not a scope and sequence program, nor a curriculum.  Built on the foundation of the Six Pillars of Character, CHARACTER COUNTS provides practical strategies, curricular resources, and trainings to positively impact your school system, community, youth-serving or  people-helping organization.

CHARACTER COUNTS! has demonstrated success as a stand-alone initiative or working in alignment with other programs such as PBIS to foster positive climate change to produce exceptional results in the academic, social and emotional, character development and school-climate domains.

CHARACTER COUNTS! is housed at The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.  As a global initiative that transforms lives and strengthens communities, CHARACTER COUNTS! supports our mission to improve civility through character development and ethical leadership.

CHARACTER COUNTS! was created by Michael Josephson and founded at the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics.  The Josephson Institute works towards improving the ethical quality of society by changing personal and organizational decision making and behavior.