Character Education
Cultivating good character is an important part of a child's education at home, at school and in the community. Many UPF chapters offer lessons in classrooms or train teachers and administrators in character education or peace education.
- Written by: UPF International
Wise and Wonderful builds on the foundation of Book 1, Learning To Be Good, with more of Aesop’s famous fables. Written for a slightly more mature audience than Book 1, these stories are a bit more sophisticated in theme and are more firmly grounded in the world of relating to others in a sharing and caring way. Designed to be read aloud to the students, with easy-to-show illustrations, Wise and Wonderful contains the teacher’s manual right along with the story. Suggestions for hands-on activities and discussions help the teacher draw out the character education lessons of the stories.
- Written by: UPF International
Developing My Character features direct teachings on such topics as choosing what kind of person to become, what constitutes happiness, masculinity and femininity, the importance of relating well to others, finding purpose, resisting peer pressure, the relationship between freedom and responsibility, the existence of the conscience, and the importance of honesty and self-control. Filled with entertaining stand-outs and sidebars that use famous and historical people as examples of the lessons being taught, the chapters are accompanied by striking graphics and challenging questions and exercises. Filled with wisdom and humor, this book is an invaluable guide to developing good character in the middle adolescent.
- Written by: UPF International
Building Successful Relationships runs the gamut of relationships from the adolescent’s relationship with him- or herself (through self-respect and a sense of value) to his or her relationships in the family, including preparation for a future family. Topics such as respect for others, true love as opposed to infatuation and lust, getting along with seniors and juniors, communication skills, relationships with parents, conflict resolution, sexual integrity, and coping with broken relationships are all topics covered in this fascinating journey into the psyche of the maturing adolescent. User-friendly illustrations and lay-out, including stories in stand-outs and sidebars about adolescents in relationships, make for easy usage and interesting reading. Questions for Reflection, Exercises, and Reflection Exercises stimulate thoughtful introspection.
- Written by: Marty
Lovingly selected, these famous and not-so-famous fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen are retold with a character education emphasis for today. From the perennially moving The Ugly Duckling and The Little Match Girl to the lesser known but delightful It’s Perfectly True and The Water of Life, the book takes teachers and students into a fantasy world that nevertheless contains the deepest truth: a heart of goodness is a treasure for life. The consequences of doing bad things out of a selfish character and the rewards of doing good things out of an unselfish character are vividly depicted. Fanciful illustrations add to the fun and poignancy of this treasure trove of meaningful fantasy adventures.
- Written by: UPF International
The stories in Learning to Be Good are retellings of famous fables, especially Aesop’s, with a character education emphasis. These timeless and illustrative stories have traveled from culture to culture and generation to generation. They appeal to all age groups with their simple but universal lessons about human nature and morality. Since most of the main characters are animals, they have a special appeal to children of this age. Charming illustrations and playful, dynamic activities suggested in the accompanying teacher’s lessons plans enhance the stories and reinforce the lessons learned in a hands-on way.
- Written by: Alan Saunders
UPF is initiating training programs in the US that will allow hosting churches or community organizations to adopt Character Education as an outreach program and by hosting it, to earn funds to help sustain this program.
The curriculum is non-sectarian and so can be adopted and incorporated into any religious or secular environment. We will also be offering training programs to certify Character Education Trainers to offer this training throughout the U.S.
- Written by: Alan Saunders
UPF has conducted workshops to train teachers and other professionals in over thirty countries around the world.
- Written by: Alan Saunders
UPF sent college-age young adults to seven countries in 2007 as "peer educators." These youth educators are profoundly effective in reaching youth, and the experiences were life-changing.
- Written by: June Saunders, Author and Researcher
Autumn 2007 was a busy time for character education. Not only did UPF representatives travel to four different countries in one month, representatives from more than a dozen countries attended workshops and planned to carry the message of character education back to their countries. One Muslim representative thought the Discovering the Real Me character education curriculum produced by UPF was just the thing for the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where economic, social, and peace achievements are blossoming but often ignored by the mass media.
- Written by: Ken
- Written by: Ken
Book 3: Discovering the Real Me, Student Textbook 3: Living Happily Ever After, Ages 8 to 9 Years
- Written by: UPF International
Book 2: Discovering the Real Me, Student Textbook and Teacher’s Manual 2: Wise and Wonderful, Ages 7 to 8 Years