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Character Development Program Helping Students Think of Others First and Make Good Choices
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
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— Abraham Lincoln
The Greek philosopher Diogenes once said, “The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.” President Abraham Lincoln took that thought one step further: “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.”
Little wonder, then, that the Medal of Honor Character Development Program (CDP) is designed to prompt students to think of others first and make good choices every day. The program teaches students that, “Ordinary people can meet great challenges and change the world.”
Appropriately enough, that change can be launched in the classroom of elementary and secondary schools using lessons that demonstrate the principles on which America was founded. Those lessons leverage dramatic stories featuring Medal of Honor Recipients, stories that help make those principles real. The CDP’s overriding message is that “everyone has the capacity to be a hero and the courage to do the right thing.” To underscore this, the curriculum also features stories of ordinary Americans who have gone above and beyond to help others and who have been recognized by the Society through its annual Citizen Honors Awards.
The program includes cross-curriculum lessons for middle and high school, video oral histories, teacher tutorials, videoconferences, and more. To access the CDP’s instructional resources, educators and administrators are encouraged to register at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s website.
Teachers designed the program’s lesson plans to help students explore the values of courage, integrity, sacrifice, commitment, citizenship, and patriotism. The lessons use best-practices based on national standards that easily adapt to a variety of curricula, teaching methods, and school settings.
Both elementary and secondary resources of the Character Development Program teach students to recognize and exemplify these values, making them useful as Social Emotional Learning resources, as a classroom management system, or as a tool to create a positive and healthy school culture. These character education lessons feature
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
extraordinary military and civilian stories, providing students with concrete examples to live by. Because the lessons are grounded in cross-curricular academics, most teachers can incorporate them into an existing unit and double the accomplishments in their precious teaching minutes. Built to be flexible, the program is appropriate for public, private, charter, homeschool, and extra-curricular settings.
The entire Medal of Honor Character Development Program is free to educators. The curriculum includes individual and group activities, worksheets and extended activity suggestions, and resources such as Medal of Honor citations, live and archived webinars, and an extensive living history collection.
ELEMENTARY LESSONS
The Medal of Honor Character Development Program Elementary Resource is designed specifically for K-6th grade students, providing access points for younger students to Medal of Honor values at their level. Through contemporary academic curriculum and classic stories of Medal of Honor Recipients and citizen heroes, students learn to show respect for others and in doing so make their schools and communities better places to learn and live.
The elementary resource assignments and activities fit efficiently into existing disciplines, time periods, and schedules. g
The Medal of Honor Character Development Program Secondary Resource, designed for 6th-12th grade students, consists of academic lesson plans based on the stories of Medal of Honor Recipients and citizen heroes.
These content-rich non-fiction primary sources and engaging narratives differentiate this resource from other character programs. While learning history and practicing a variety of academic skills, participating students also develop values that will benefit them and the communities they live in. The free secondary curriculum can be easily adapted for use in community programs such as scouting and expanded to provide a basis for service projects and leadership development.
IN-PERSON TRAINING
The Medal of Honor Character Development Program lessons and teaching resources are adaptable enough to be implemented in all types of teaching and learning settings. In addition, they’re useful as Social Emotional Learning tools. For details, visit the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s website at www.cmohs.org.
REQUEST TRAINING FOR YOUR SCHOOL/DISTRICT
Individual schools and/or districts can host a free training for local educators. Sessions typically include a morning and afternoon sessions and are designed to introduce team members to the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, model ways to use the lessons with students, and allow time for collaboration and planning for program implementation.
THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TEAMS PROVIDES:
• Trainers (all of whom are current or former educators) to conduct the session. • An interactive, engaging learning experience for teachers and colleagues. • Guided collaboration time to plan implementation strategies unique to the local schools/districts. • Resource book for each person in attendance. • Reimbursement of substitute costs if needed. • Light lunch for all attendees.
LOCAL SCHOOL/DISTRICT PROVIDES:
• At least 30 teachers. • Space with tables and chairs for attendees to work in groups. • Audio-visual tools, including a screen, projector, and speakers.
Funded by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the Character Development Program’ is part of a six-year $3 million grant which seeks to expand the program through in-person trainings and the creation of an interactive online training to ensure availability to all educators, while strengthening the program through an enhanced evaluation system and teacher support.