1. CHARACTER COUNTS!®
Everywhere, All the Time…

2. Quotes
Activity
Read the quotes and select one
that you like.
Reflect : why do you like it?
Share your reflection with the
person next to your right

3. Agenda
Objectives – Share the framework of
Character Counts program.
Expectations – interactive discussion, lots of
questions, share your ideas and experiences
Trust the process – please participate fully

4. Why Character
Counts?
Self – evaluation about
Character Education
Program at CAG
Needs of our Character
Education Program
Evaluating different
programs

5. How did Character
Counts start?
Josephson Institute and
Programs
Aspen Declaration on
Character Education
The Six Pillars

6. People do not automatically develop good moral character;
therefore, conscientious efforts must be made to instruct
young people in the values and abilities necessary for moral
decision making and conduct. - Aspen Declaration
.

7. Programa de Valores en el CAG
2000-2004 2004-2010 2011-2014
Los seis pilares del
carácter (Character
Counts – Six Pillars):
• RESPETO • RESPETO • CIVISMO
• HONESTIDAD • HONESTIDAD • RESPONSABILIDAD
• RESPONSABILIDAD • RESPONSABILIDAD • RESPETO
• GENEROSIDAD • GENEROSIDAD • BONDAD
• JUSTICIA • JUSTICIA • CONFIABILIDAD
• SOLIDARIDAD • COMUNIDAD • JUSTICIA
• TOLERANCIA • APRECIO POR LA
• PRUDENCIA DIVERSIDAD
• ESPIRITUALIDAD Y • AUTO-CONTROL
VIDA INTERIOR • RIGOR
• LEALTAD

8. Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship

9. My plate is already full!

10. Character is
the plate

11. Jar Activity
What does this activity tell you
about your work day?
How can you use it in your
classroom?

12. To educate a child in the mind but not the morals is to
educate a menace to society. - Theodore Roosevelt

13. You do not learn how to ride a
bicycle by looking at pictures of
bicycles in a book and studying
laws of physics. You learn how to
ride a bicycle by getting on a bike
and riding. - Barbara Lewis
Similarly, you learn to be a good
person by being a good person, by
being honest, respectful,
responsible, fair, caring and a good
citizen.

14. Activity
Video
Lead India. Tree
What choices did the community
have?
What does the boy’s choice tell
us about his values?

15. Values are the
building blocks of
Character and
shape the nature
and quality of our
personal and
social interactions

16. What is CHARACTER COUNTS!® ?
CHARACTER
It is based on
COUNTS!® is the
It is used in shared beliefs and
nation’s most
schools, youth, consensus values
widely used
sports, and civic called the Six
character-
organizations. Pillars of
development
Character
framework.

17. CHARACTER COUNTS!® is Inclusive and
Nonpartisan
CHARACTER
COUNTS!® has no
ideological or Members of the These six core
political agenda Coalition include ethical values
other than secular and transcend political,
strengthening the religious cultural, socio-
moral fiber of the organizations as economic, and
next generation by well as government religious
promoting and civic entities. differences.
consensus ethical
values.

18. FOUR VALUES: PROCESS: OUTCOME:
DOMAINS: SIX PILLARS T.E.A.M. • Effective
• Character • Trustworthiness • Teach • Ethical
• Social & • Respect • Enforce • BEST
Emotional • Responsibility • Advocate POSSIBLE
• Academic • Fairness • Model RESULT
• Safety • Caring
• Citizenship

19. CHARACTER/ETHICS SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
Develop the character of Develop positive social and
children and adolescents by emotional life skills to help
instilling core ethical values children and adolescents
and attributes (the Six Pillars achieve their goals and live
of Character) happy and socially responsible
lives
Four Domains of
CHARACTER COUNTS!® 4.0
INTELLECTUAL
SAFETY /ACADEMIC
Provide a nurturing, caring Instill educational values and
physical environment so all develop academic skills to help
students are and feel physically children and adolescents reach
and emotionally safe their intellectual potential and
meet state standards

20. Mission
The mission of the American School of
Guatemala is to empower its students
to achieve their full potential and to
inspire them to lead meaningful lives
as responsible members of a global
society.

21. • TRUSTWORTHINESS
T
• RESPECT
R
• RESPONSIBILITY
R
• FAIRNESS
F
C • CARING
C • CITIZENSHIP
The Six Pillars of Character

22. Six Pillars of Character
 TRUSTWORTHINESS – honesty, integrity,
promise-keeping, loyalty
 RESPECT – courtesy, nonviolence, tolerance,
autonomy
 RESPONSIBILITY – duty, accountability,
pursuit of excellence, self-restraint
 FAIRNESS – openness, consistency,
impartiality
 CARING – kindness, compassion, empathy
 CITIZENSHIP – civic virtue, lawfulness,
common good

23. Poster Activity
• Step 1: Divide paper in half. On one side list the words
represented in your pillar; on the other side draw the symbols
that represent those words on your poster.
• Step 2: Choose 4 words that best represent your pillar; choose
1 symbol.
• Step 3: Share your poster with the rest of the group

24. Video
The greatest
What was your reactions about
this video?
What does your reactions say
about your role in this process?

25. Consistent application and
The values that we want monitoring.
young people to learn.
Self-conscious about
Constant encouragement while making setting a good example
sure we are not neutral about the in what we do and say.
importance of good character.

26. Teach
 Language Arts: The students read a story, legend or myth, then
write an analysis of the most strongly exhibited value. Character
trait in the work studied—How is this pillar revealed and by whom?
 Social Studies: Current/historical events involving some type of
conflict—discuss/debate/present/write/research pillars
involved/tested/needed.
 Science: Current event/scientific problem/issue or
discovery/invention. Students discuss/write/present.
Search/debate the character implications connected to this
problem.
 Cooperate with colleagues to address character issues that span
academic subject areas.
• Service-learning
• Provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful
opportunities to meet needs in the community.

27. Teach

28. Check out our lesson plan bank at
www.charactercounts.org (under “Resources”)

30. Enforce
 Consistency/Fairness
 Classroom rules/expectations
 Consequences—positive and negative

32. CHARACTER COUNTS!® Week:
The third full week in October

33. Advocate
 Encourage all adults who interact with children
or young people to think about the Six Pillars
and their importance.
 Participate in opportunities to promote the
initiative.
 Take the message to everyone.

34. Celebrating a
character trait

36. MODEL
 Just Do It
 ―The only true remaining freedom is our ability to
choose our attitude in any given situation‖ (Victor
Frankl)
 Make your attitude worth catching
 Say what you mean and mean what you say
 Everything you do and say sends a message—
what message are you sending?

37. Video
Susan Boyle
No Limbs No limits
Significant Insight
Bumper Sticker

38. To Be Successful . . .
Character Education Character Education is
requires: not:
• theoretical clarity • a quick fix
• implementation consistency • a poster on a wall
• unwavering confidence • words we say or tell others
• persistence over time • a passing educational fad
• fostering good character in • something we just do
partnership with promoting
intellectual development