Character Education
Book Review: "Parents, Kids & Character: 21 Strategies," by Helen LeGette
Workshop on Character Education in Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland - Members, guests and Ambassadors for Peace gathered at UPF’s Finnish headquarters September 6 and 7, 2008 to study and discuss education in the areas of character development and human relationships.
Book Review: "Being Good at Being Bad," by José Rosado
José Rosado, author of Being Good at Being Bad, grew up in “rat- and roach-infested” projects on the south side of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was the son of an alcoholic father; yet his early childhood years were blissfully unaware of the pressures his environment placed on him.
In his teenage years, he was not so fortunate. Drugs, underage drinking, school difficulties and fighting became part of his expression of anger. He became “good at being bad”.
Character Education Pays Off in Los Angeles School
Los Angeles, USA - The Los Angeles Times (8/26, Rivera) reported on St. Genevieve High School, which "has gained a reputation as one of the most innovative high schools in Los Angeles." The school provides "classes in Mandarin, overseas trips to China and France," and "fitness instruction that includes salsa and tai chi." It also has a policy of closing "for a week each year for a teachers retreat to discuss educational goals," and "to foster cooperation and trust."
Character Education for U.S. High School Seniors
In January 2008 I was suddenly presented with the opportunity to teach Discovering the Real Me in a high school class in the US entitled “Relationships”. The students were all seniors with the exception of five students, one of whom was an exchange student from Siberia.
Summer Camps for St. Lucia Youth Promote Good Character
Castries, St. Lucia - "Should we have sex before marriage?" was the topic one day at a camp in the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia. The debate became so passionate that the facilitators in charge of this discussion group had a hard time trying to keep the verbal exchanges among the secondary school students respectful and peaceful.
Character Educaton Receives Great Response In Chicago
Chicago, USA - The theme and title of the National Convocation of the American Clergy Leadership Conference, held in Chicago from May 29-31, was “ Rebuild the Family, Restore the Community, Renew the Nation and the World.” Character education was introduced as an innovative way to address these concerns. Well-attended, the closing banquet and awards ceremony brought together over 400 local ministers.
Promoting Character Education in St. Vincent
A five-day camp promoting character education was held in Barrouallie from July 30–August 3 at the Barrouallie Multi-Purpose Academy.
Working with the Thursday Group in Jamaica
On my last full day in Jamaica, I was chatting with a lady on the bus. She asked how we were enjoying our stay and was curious to know if we’d gotten to Negril and Montego Bay to enjoy the beaches. When I explained that we really were in Jamaica to teach character education, she said, “Welcome, welcome, welcome to Jamaica!”
Promoting Character in Trinidad and Tobago
Our team was sent to Trinidad and Tobago for our character education internship with the Universal Peace Federation. We were to teach character education at St. Joseph’s Primary School and Sealots Community School July 2-27, 2008.
Report on SUNY Cortland Charater Education Institute
What follows is my report on the Summer Institute for Character Education at the State University of New York in Cortland June 30 to July 2, 2008. I highlight the key points of each session as I understand and remember them. I also include a book list and a brief reflection.
Interns Learn to Teach Character Education Curriculum
In 2007, the Universal Peace Federation launched its Peer Counselor Intern program. A total of thirty college students went out to seven countries and gave character education lessons in schools and communities. The program is expanding to include twenty countries in 2008, and a new group of interns are preparing to head out during the summer months.
NextGen Interns in Thailand
Team Thailand stayed in the country the work began and ended. Interns Hannah Boyd, Jacob Shaw, and Justin Frisk worked in Songkla in the south of Thailand where they taught character education at an orphanage for children who had lost their parents or been displaced by war. The orphanage is in a safe area away from the conflict.
NextGen Interns Promote Character Education in Chennai
Interns Lily Jones and Joyce Payer, the interns of Team India, were thrilled upon arrival in the Indian city of Chennai The whole plane had been populated with Indian men, and, as three white women, they felt they stood out quite a bit. However, on the plane and in country, they felt a strong sense of safety, because they found that women were treated with a great deal of respect.
NextGen Interns Promote Character Education in Sri Lanka
Interns Elysa Thalheimer, Tesia Bobrycki, and Audrey Martin were struck by the war-like aspects of Sri Lanka. Everywhere they went, they saw officers with rifles stopping cars and checking everything. They learned that if you are Tamil, it is especially difficult. Most Tamil students yearn for peace, but they don't know how it will come about. The idea of a peace sports festival inspired them, as did meeting their first Westerners. The interns felt the impact of war on society in a way they had never felt before.
NextGen Interns Promote Character Education in Nepal
Team Nepal, consisting of Laura Hinkle, Teddy Sylte, and Rita Asaoka, discovered as they left teeming Kathmandu that scenery in Nepal was "soooooo beautiful!" It was full of green mountains and valleys and fresh with unspoiled air. The interns did a lot of teaching in classrooms at four different schools, all of which begged them to return. They also went to a school for orphans that was built by a sister organization, The International Relief Friendship Foundation, and taught character education lessons on teamwork and gratitude and did a cleaning service project.
Day of Families Observed in Seychelles
To mark the International Day of Families and create awareness of the importance of families, UPF-Seychelles organized a half-day conference on June 6. It was attended by Ambassadors for Peace and other people.
Character Education Receives Great Response in Chicago
The National Convocation of the American Clergy Leadership Conference was held in Chicago on the theme “ Rebuild the Family, Restore the Community, Renew the Nation and the World.” Character education was introduced as an innovative way to address these concerns. Well-attended, the closing banquet and awards ceremony brought together over 400 local ministers.
Character Education Seminar in Newburgh, New York
Newburgh, USA - Mrs. Gale Alves of Binghamton, New York invited citizens of Newburgh and the surrounding areas to attend the seminar. Sally Sayre, representing the Character Education Initiative of UPF (Universal Peace Federation), conducted the training. Two participants, Matt Taft and Crescentia Hinkle, were in training to conduct character education classes in the Caribbean this summer.
Educating Students in Abuja about Character and Service
One hundred students from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, were invited to a seminar about character and service on March 12, 2008.