TEXANS BUILDING CHARACTER

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Newspaper Column Samples
Public Service Announcements
Proclamation

NEWSPAPER COLUMN SAMPLES
(Material suitable for a newspaper column with CEA byline or for a clientele newsletter)

CHARACTER EDUCATION IS EVERYONE'S CONCERN

Character education may begin at home, but it's reinforced by schools, communities and the larger environment. That's why character education has become everybody's business. Our youth often see negative examples of ethical behavior from some poor role models in professional athletics and the music and entertainment industries. Sometimes these negative examples are in their own communities or families. Parents, educators and youth leaders agree: we need to help youth understand that their character counts. As part of a national and statewide effort to provide character education to all youth in Texas, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service has embarked on a major character education effort. We are incorporating character education into our regular programming for 4-H youth, families and communities as well as training volunteers to teach character education principles to other groups. Character is not hereditary and does not develop automatically. That's why the Extension Service has joined the nation's most respected youth and community organizations and the State of Texas in the CHARACTER COUNTS! COALITION TO DELIVER CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAMS. Character education is not meant to replace what parents teach their children. In fact, it supplements and enhances family efforts to instill ethical values and good character. Nor does it replace or conflict with religious teachings. It is based on common ethical values that transcend political, religious, socioeconomic and cultural differences. Those common ethical values, the "pillars" of character education, are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. If you would like to know more about character education, or to review the curriculum materials we are using to teach it, or to volunteer for training yourself, please contact (contact information). (Could also add information on planned or upcoming programming in this area).

4-H - A YOUTH PROGRAM OF CHARACTER

When youth participate in 4-H activities, whether it's raising an animal, preparing a recipe for the food show or participating in a bicycle safety course, we know they learn new skills. The also learn something about initiative, responsibility and sticking to a task. Now we can add "character" to that list of life skills included in 4-H curricula. Over the last several years, parents, teachers and youth workers have become more and more concerned about our youth. We have all seen increasing lack of respect for others, school violence, negative behaviors such as lying and cheating, and substance abuse become more common - even among younger children. In an effort to stem the tide and help this generation of young people grow into responsible adulthood, the nation's most respected youth organizations have embarked on programs of character education. At the national level, 4-H has joined with the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Youth Soccer Organization, Camp Fire Boys and Girls and other in the CHARACTER COUNTS! COALITION. The State of Texas joined in this coalition last October with a character-building initiative for public schools to be funded through the Governor's Criminal Justice Division. Together, Coalition members are working to reach young people and their families and to deliver a powerful message that character really counts - in personal relationships, in school, at the workplace and in life. How will the Texas AgriLife Extension Service's 4-h program be a part of this Coalition? Our goal is to incorporate lessons about six widely-accepted "pillars' of character into our 4-H club and project activities. Those pillars are: trustworthiness, respect, fairness, responsibility, caring and citizenship. Across Texas, 4-H is training County Extension Agents, parent volunteers and adults in the community to use a variety of fun, hands-on and meaningful character education curriculum materials in the 4-H program. In _____County, (add information here about local plans for the 4-H program)..... (In final paragraph, tell readers what you'd like them to do: e.g., invite them to attend a meeting/training, review curriculum materials, sign-up for something, contact you for more information, etc.)

DEVELOPING CHARACTER IN LIVESTOCK PROJECTS

We all know that livestock projects aren't about animals - they're about kids. Selecting, caring for, feeding, housing, showing, and selling an animal teaches a youngster as much about responsibility as it does about livestock production. Showing livestock can also be a character-building exercise for youth if the adults involved make those lessons clear. Unfortunately, in recent years livestock shows have also become an arena for unethical practices. Those practices include use of illegal drugs or abuse of over-the-counter drugs on show animals, false ownership and substitution of animals, professional groomers and fitters doing work which should be done by youth, and the physical alteration of animals. As parents, volunteer leaders, and county extension agents our job is to teach ethical practices that build the ethical character of our youth through livestock projects. Toward that end, the Extension Service has embarked on a program of character education in all of its programs, including livestock showing activities. "Texans Building Character" is Extension's program of teaching youth and training volunteers to teach character education through 4-h clubs, schools, youth groups and other programs. A special version of that curriculum focuses on applying the six universal pillars of character - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship - to livestock projects. (Suggest final paragraphs: local plans or upcoming programs related to teaching or training people with this curriculum; and/or inviting people to volunteer or contact you for information).

SIX PILLARS GUIDE TO CHARACTER EDUCATION

When you think of teaching a child how to be a person of good character, it seems like a daunting task. As parents, we hope our children develop standards of ethical behavior from examples at home, religious teachings, or even at school or out in the community. But in today's environment, we can't assume that children and teens are always getting the right message about ethical behavior. That's why the Texas AgriLife Extension Service is providing Texans Building Character, a program of character education for youth and adults. This educational program is built around six "pillars" of character. These common ethical values, the "pillars" of character education are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The pillars of character sound like broad and abstract concepts. But there is a variety of fun and interesting curriculum materials that parents, volunteer leaders, teachers and other caring adults can use to teach even the youngest children. Here are the basic concepts that can be taught at all age levels, including adults.. Trustworthiness. Trustworthiness involves honesty, promise-keeping, and loyalty. Young people can learn that honesty is speaking the truth, that promise-keeping means saying you will do something and then doing it, and that loyalty means protecting and helping people who are special to you. Respect. Respectful people treat others with consideration and accept individual differences. It's a lesson that applies as much on the playground as in the workplace. Responsibility. Children can learn that good people are people of action. They can be depended on to do the right thing, even when the right thing is the hard thing to do. Fairness. Most youth have a keen sense of what is "fair" when it comes to a referee's call at a soccer game, cutting a birthday cake into equal portions, or a class grade. They can learn to avoid arguments over fairness by going by the rules, treating everyone the same and using the same rules for everyone. Caring. Caring people are loving, helpful, giving and kind. Children can learn to care for people, pets, plants, possessions. They will begin to consider how their decisions, words and actions will affect other people. Citizenship. A sense of community and obligation to larger groups is the bedrock of citizenship. Children can learn citizenship with simple displays of citizenship, from the pledge of Allegiance to helping pick up trash on a community cleanup day. If you are interested in learning how to teach these ethical behaviors to your own children, youth group or club, classroom, or workplace, contact (add contact name and information). (You may also wish to add upcoming character education events or programs and invite participation).

SAMPLE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

PSA#1
HOW WILL OUR CHILDREN LEARN TO BE GOOD PEOPLE, PARENTS, WORKERS AND CITIZENS? a GOOD VALUE SYSTEM STARTS AT HOME. BUT TEACHERS, YOUTH GROUP LEADERS AND OTHER CARING ADULTS CAN ALSO HELP. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR CLASS OR YOUTH GROUP PARTICIPATE IN CHARACTER EDUCATION, CONTACT (NAME) IN THE (NAME) COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE AT (NUMBER).

PSA#2
BE A PART OF "TEXANS BUILDING CHARACTER," A PROGRAM NOW BEING OFFERED IN (COUNTY OR TOWN NAME). YOUR SCHOOL, CLASS, YOUTH GROUP OR PARENT ORGANIZATION CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT HELPS DEVELOP RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTFUL CHILDREN AND YOUTH. FOR INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE, CONTACT (NAME) OF THE (NAME) COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE AT (NUMBER).

PSA#3
FAMILY CRISES. SUBSTANCE ABUSE. TEEN SEX. MANY OF OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH LIVE WITH THESE PROBLEMS - AND WITHOUT POSITIVE ROLE MODELS. YOU CAN HELP. JOIN "TEXANS BUILDING CHARACTER," A COMMUNITY COALITION TO BRING CHARACTER EDUCATION INTO SCHOOLS, HOMES AND YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS IN (COUNTY OR TOWN NAME). FOR INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE, CONTACT (NAME) OF THE (NAME) COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE AT (NUMBER).

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Our communities, nation and world are in critical times, and the present and future well- being of our society requires an involved, caring citizenry with good character; and
WHEREAS, people do not automatically develop good moral character; conscientious efforts must be made to help develop these values and abilities necessary for moral decision making and conduct; and
WHEREAS, concerns about the character training have taken on a new urgency, since children, now more than ever, need strong constructive guidance from their families and their communities, including schools, youth organizations, religious institutions and civic groups; and
WHEREAS, effective character education is based on the core ethical values which comprise the "six pillars of character" and form the foundation of a democratic society: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship; and
WHEREAS, The Texas AgriLife Extension Service is initiating the Texans Building Character program in the communities and planning educational activities that will build the character of both adults and youth so that we may have a safer and more productive place to live; and
NOW THEREFORE, I _____________Judge of _________ County, do hereby proclaim the week of October 21-27, 2001 as
"TEXANS BUILDING CHARACTER WEEK"

and call upon the people of ______________ County to embrace the six pillars of character and to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
Dated this ___day of September, 2001. ______________________________________ County Judge

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Page last updated: August 7, 2007