Professional Development Workshops

CHARACTER COUNTS! is proud to offer outstanding professional development courses. Each of the following interactive professional development courses will be delivered in half- or full-day format by dynamic CHARACTER COUNTS! trainers. All CHARACTER COUNTS! courses are grounded in the 12 core values and skills: the Six Pillars of Character (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship) and Six Life Skills (learning, self-discipline, diligence, positivity, perseverance, resilience).

“I am a great fan of the CHARACTER COUNTS! online workshop and training programs. The insightful materials are professionally delivered and the concepts are easy to grasp and put into action. I found the two sessions I attended motivating, engaging, and truly inspiring. Overall, they markedly exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend CHARACTER COUNTS! to educators looking to positively impact their school or youth organization by instilling strong values (and the habits to maintain them) into their students and faculty alike. My heartfelt thanks to the CHARACTER COUNTS! team at Drake University!
                                                                                             – Bill Bahr, Bloomingdale CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition

Workshops begin at $2500 (plus trainer expenses).

A conference call will be scheduled with you to discuss your desired goals/needs to tailor your upcoming workshop accordingly.

Email us, call 515-271-1910 or submit a training request!

This introductory workshop will use instructional strategies that can be replicated in the classroom and offers resources, tools, and practices to make character an integral part of school life. The workshop covers concepts like The Six Pillars of Character, decision making strategies that include Best Possible Results and the stakeholder’s approach, TEAM as our dynamic driving strategy, positive school or organizational climate, behavior change theory, growth mindset, research-based instructional strategies, and many fun, and hands-on learning methods and experiences.

Designed for early childhood educators, this workshop explores the skills needed to enhance the social and emotional growth of the preschool classroom.  Early childhood educators will walk away with tools and strategies to implement a high-quality character development initiative for young children. Educators will be equipped with character-based lesson plans, family engagement tools and interactive activities to easily integrate the social and emotional curriculum into the three to five year old classroom. At least one Early Childhood kit must be purchased for this training, as the resources contained in the kit will supplement the training.  Early Childhood kits may be purchased for $200 per kit.

The Student Development Workshop is our certificated comprehensive three-day workshop in our small group setting with an expert master training providing hands-on learning.  Participants will learn techniques for integrating values like the Six Pillars of Character into their lives, schools, and classrooms.  In addition, participants will learn about the TEAM approach to character development, and have time to discuss how to best implement CHARACTER COUNTS! in their classrooms, school, activities, and district as a whole.

Completion of the course results in certification for each participant as a CHARACTER COUNTS! Champion, capable of conducting internal in-service training and administering school or organization-wide CHARACTER COUNTS! initiatives.

The Student Development Workshop is a three-day training that costs $10,500.  The training may be taken as a three-day onsite training, or a two-day onsite training with the third day of implementation planning completed online.  Participants may register for Drake University Graduate credit for an additional fee.  Schools may wish to offer the course for state-issued licensure renewal points.

This training may be offered for school staff or for parents.

For Staff: At CHARACTER COUNTS! we believe parents are a child’s first and most important character educator. We understand just how important it is for schools to be able to work more collaboratively with parents in raising children.  This workshop will give educators tools to gain parent’s support toward the school’s efforts to promote good character.  It will also include successful engagement activities and strategies on how to deal with challenging parents.

For Parents:  Our parent workshop focuses on increasing positive parent engagement in the education of their children.  In particular, the workshop equips parents with tools and strategies to use at home to support the school’s CC! efforts.  Parents will learn how to encourage and model the Six Pillars of Character at home, especially in challenging situations.  If requested, the parent sessions may also address managing behaviors of at-risk youth.

This workshop provides a basic overview of current research and best practices to recognize symptoms and effectively assistsstudents with various behavioral and learning challenges including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), Anxiety Disorder (ASD) , Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and other emotional or behavioral challenges. The workshop will demonstrate and teach the proper use of fidgets, a proven effective strategy to provide sensory input, assist with anxiety, concentration, and the ability to listen and self-sooth.  Also, participants will learn proven Cognitive Behavioral Therapeutic methods to teach youth how to use positive self-talk and dispute cognitive distortions.  Participants will also learn other vital relaxation skills such as deep breathing, positive mental imagery and progressive muscle relaxation.  Other components included are truancy training, including cultural competency and socioeconomic awareness and diversity.

Activities provide an exceptional opportunity to teach students character skills and practice those character skills in a meaningful way.  Character traits like work ethic, teamwork, leadership, and integrity among many others not only contribute to the short-term success of the athlete and team, but also the long-term development and success of the individual.  In this session participants will learn tools and strategies to help them coach the Six Pillars in athletics and activities by turning values into behaviors, as well as develop implementation plans to Teach, Enforce, Advocate, and Model the Six Pillars on their teams.  This workshop includes Pursuing Victory With Honor Playbook resources at no additional cost.

The culture of our communities’ shapes the character of the individuals living in that community.  The behaviors we see in our community are a reflection of the community culture, and so it stands to reason that we should try to create our community culture with intentionality.  In this session, participants will learn how to create a community culture that reflects the Six Pillars of Character in action.

At CHARACTER COUNTS!, we know that each school is unique, and thus has distinct challenges or focus areas.  Whether you are interested in using CHARACTER COUNTS! to combat bullying, or integrating CC! with your PBIS or other SEL program, we can design and deliver customized programming to meet your specific needs.  Please contact The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at 515-271-1910 or raycenter@drake.edu to discuss a customized program and pricing.