Character and Community: A Town Hall Meeting with America's Youth, St. Louis,
MO October 23, 2002
On October 23, 2002, Mrs. Bush spoke with parents, students, teachers, and community
members at
the Maplewood-Richmond High School in St. Louis, Missouri, on how everyone can participate in
the design and administration of character-building programs.
Programs at the local level help states work with school districts to develop curriculum
materials, provide teacher training, involve parents in character education, and
integrate character education into the curriculum.
Each program incorporates six elements of character:
- Caring
- Civic virtue and citizenship
- Justice and fairness
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Trustworthiness
Character education is designed to help reduce discipline problems and improve student
achievement, increase participation in extracurricular activities, and increase parent and
community involvement. Students, parents and teachers can become active in helping their
communities while building character through programs like the USA Freedom Corps.
Also, grants funded through the Department of Education provide millions of dollars in
support to help schools develop character education programs. For Information about
Partnerships in Character Education Programs at the Department of Education, contact:
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
Program Information:
www.ed.gov/programs/charactered/index.html
Grant Information:
www.ed.gov/programs/charactered/eligibility.html
For further information on how to join the volunteer network, contact the USA Freedom Corps:
The USA Freedom Corps
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 1-877-USA-CORPS
Email: info@USAFreedomCorps.gov
Web: www.usafreedomcorps.gov
