A COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN

Use these practical Character Education strategies to create a way of life for children and adults in your community.  In this plan you will find the 5 C's (Commitment, Consensus. Collaboration, Communication and Collecting Data) along with the 5 E's (Explore, Engage, Excite, Expand and Evaluate) that will make character count in your schools and community.

YEAR 1

COMMITMENT:

C Assess the community’s needs. Tools used will include:

                                        Surveys

Focus groups

C Determine who must be involved in order to have the necessary commitment to begin CHARACTER COUNTS!

C Build a Coalition that includes key community leaders:
  • Consider the possibility of using an existing network that focuses on the needs of the community.
  • Form a new Coalition that will address CHARACTER COUNTS! as its primary mission
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    NAME                                 REPRESENTING

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

    CONSENSUS:

    C Reach consensus on core ethical values

    C Determine if any obstacles will stand in the way

    C Agree to be purposeful in your approach with clear objectives designed to influence values and behavior.

    C Develop a vision and mission statement with a discussion on goals

    COLLABORATION:

    C Commit to training:

    a) Schedule a one-day awareness training for your community. Involve key people representing various segments of your population

    b) Choose key leaders who will be your "trainer of trainers" and send them to a three-day Character Development Seminar (CDS)

    c) Host a community-wide CDS for up to 35 key participants (2/3rds educators; 1/3rd community)

    C Create a common vision for your community. Determine what you would like to see happen in three to five years

    C Join the National CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition

    C Interact with other schools and communities involved in similar efforts

    COLLECT DATA:

    C Determine what data your community would like to collect.

    C Assess baseline level in areas where you will be collecting data.

    a) Surveys - students, parents, community

    b) Level of student, parent, community involvement

    c) Perceptions of community related to character education

    d) Police statistics

    e) School discipline statistics

    COMMUNICATION:

    C Determine who needs information

    C Prepare presentations to be given throughout the community using resources from trainings attended by key leaders

    a) A ten minute overview of CHARACTER COUNTS! and the plans for implementation in your community

    b) A 30 minute presentation that further explains the initiative and why it is important for your community

    C Establish a public relations/marketing sub-committee

    C Develop a web page and/or newsletter

    C Create a chart to assist in sharing the vision with others in your community

  • GROUP     MESSAGE     BENEFITS     MEDIUM     WHO/WHEN
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    Schools

    		        

    Youth Organizations

    		        

    Businesses

    		        

    Local Government

    		        

    Families

    		        

    Media

    		        
             

    YEAR 2

    EXPLORE:

    C Identify specific strategies to implement in your community that will move the initiative from words to action.

  • STRATEGY                 FOR WHOM?             WHEN
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    C Connect with appropriate existing community-wide events

    C Investigate funding opportunities from local sources and grants

    C Be creative in making CHARACTER COUNTS! become immersed in the life of your schools

    ENGAGE AND EXCITE:

    C Determine how the strategies will engage the community to be actively involved in the initiative

    C Plan and organize at least one community-wide event

    C Purchase materials, banners and posters that will display messages on character in schools and throughout the community

    C Create a Community Speakers Bureau

    EXPAND:

    C Design a local handbook as a source of information about mission, strategy and structure of your Coalition

    C Strive to ensure the Pillars of Character pervade all aspects of activity in your community

    C Promote the importance of the Pillars through frequently repeated messages emphasizing the benefits of a common language

    C Train additional educators and community leaders using your own trainers

    C Develop a Student Leadership Team. Train middle and high school students as "Ambassadors of Character"

    C Present your CHARACTER COUNTS! initiative to as many community organizations as possible

    C Consider employing paid staff to coordinate efforts either locally or with a consortium of other districts/communities

    C Participate in National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week (October)

    EVALUATE:

    C Compile and analyze data to determine what is working

    C Determine ways to communicate message about effectiveness of initiative

    C Modify action plan as needed

    C Identify ways to increase the number of individuals involved in the Coalition and the activities to be considered in future years