character counts week

CHARACTER COUNTS! Week highlights the value of good character and its important role in building strong communities that value positive, healthy relationships and respectful behavior. During CHARACTER COUNTS! Week, we celebrate young people who are role models of good character in their communities and support the parents and educators who teach our young people to be trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and good citizens.

Use #CharacterCountsWeek when you post photos to make sure we can share your celebrations!

Alameda Elementary, Downey USD, Downey, CA
Alameda Elementary, Downey USD, Downey, CA

Celebration Ideas

Celebrate CHARACTER COUNTS! Week however it works for your school organization! If you need help, we’ve organized celebration ideas for each day.

Choose any or all of the plans that work best for your students.

MONDAY – TRUSTWORTHINESS
Theme: Superhero Day
TUESDAY – RESPECT
Theme: Twin Day
WEDNESDAY – RESPONSIBILITY
Theme: Career Day
THURSDAY – FAIRNESS AND CARING
Theme: Sports Team Day
FRIDAY – GOOD CITIZENSHIP
Theme: School Spirit Day

Awards

Recognizing students who show good character and make positive choices is an important part of character education and a great way to celebrate CHARACTER COUNTS! Week. Here are a few ideas:

  • Use our free CC! Week certificates. 
  • Look for ways to acknowledge as many students as possible!
  • Ask teachers to tell each of their students which Pillar of Character the student excelled at that week.
  • Highlight one student from each class every day in front of the whole school.
  • Ask students to nominate someone who shows trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, or good citizenship.
    • Extend this idea – ask students to write about someone whose character they admire.
  • Check out more of our awards and incentives.
CC! Week Awards

Share Your Celebration!

We’re seeing great plans for school and district-wide celebrations. We’d love to share your CC! Week plans, activities, and photos! Share your celebration online and use #CharacterCountsWeek in your posts, or email your photos to us at Amy.Smit@drake.edu.

Add to Your Celebrations with Items From Our Store

Proclamations

Every year since 1993, the U.S. President, U.S. Senate, state governors, and officials around the world proclaim the third week in October as CHARACTER COUNTS! Week.

2024 White House Proclamation

2024 United States Senate Proclamation

Do The Six Pillar Shuffle

🔵  Twist is for Trustworthiness.
🟡  Roll is for Respect.
🟢  We’re gonna reach up for Responsibility.
🔴  Then we blow a kiss for Caring.
🟠  Flap your arms for Fairness.
🟣  Stomp your feet for Citizenship.

The Six Pillar Shuffle is a kick! 

Click here for the Six Pillar Shuffle music.