Character Educators To Convene At National Forum In Atlanta

10/9/2002

From: Andrea Grenadier of the Character Education Partnership, 202-296-7743, ext. 20; 703-624-4557 (cell), agrenadier@character.org

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- Teachers, principals, school administrators, policymakers and community leaders nationwide will explore "Cultivating Citizens for a Changing World" during the Character Education Partnership's 9th Annual National Forum, October 17-19 at the Hilton Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. This year's conference focuses on character development's relationship to civic education, social studies and citizenship, and will offer the latest research, programs and thinking on critical issues in the field of character education.

In our changing society, democracy demands citizens who are prepared academically, ethically and socially. Effective character development enriches these elements, and schools that can engage students in discussions on ethical and societal issues will be prepared to help them learn how to understand and analyze future events and the world around them. Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia will deliver the opening remarks of the conference, which features over 60 professional development sessions ranging from assessing character development initiatives to effectively integrating these practices throughout the curriculum and school culture.

The conference features a special session, "Troubled Waters, Troubled Minds: Navigating Character in Uncertain Times," exploring the responsibility of educators in helping their students navigate today's difficult international issues. Panel leaders are James W. Fowler, Director, Center for Ethics in Public Policy and the Professions, Emory University, and Jamil Zainaldin, President, Georgia Humanities Council.

Keynote speakers include:

-- Erin Gruwell helped 150 of her students, many of whom were written off by the school system, to use the power of education to write a book, graduate from high school and attend college. Gruwell wrote Freedom Writer's Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them, about her transformation from a novice teacher into an innovative, award-winning educator.

-- John Pepper, chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors at Procter & Gamble, is renowned nationwide for his exemplary leadership in the business world. He advocates values for life and brings a powerful message on the importance of character.

-- John Merrow, a Peabody Award-winning journalist, is the creator and host of "The Merrow Report," a documentary series on youth and learning produced by the Public Broadcasting Service and broadcast on PBS, National Public Radio and the Internet. He has recently published Choosing Excellence: "Good Enough" Schools are Not Good Enough.

An awards ceremony for the recently-named 2002 National Schools of Character winners will be held on October 17 to recognize nine schools and one district. National Schools of Character is an annual awards program that recognizes K-12 schools and districts demonstrating exemplary character education initiatives and yielding positive results in student behavior, school climate and academic performance. The program is sponsored and administered by CEP with generous support from the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, The Anschutz Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation.

CEP is the national advocate, resource provider and leader for quality character education and continuous improvement and advancement of effective character development initiatives in our nation's schools. Located in Washington, DC, CEP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonsectarian coalition established in 1993 that believes that the social, ethical and emotional development of young people is as important as their academic achievement.

The 2002 National Forum is made possible in part by the generous support of the UPS Foundation, the Georgia Humanities Council, Georgia Power, AT&T, Delta Air Lines, McGraw Hill Education, Learning for Life, The Anschutz Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation and UAW-GM Center for Human Resources.

Note to media: The media is invited to attend any portion of the Forum. Except for the school tours, all events will be held at the Hilton Atlanta at 255 Courtland Street, NE in Atlanta. If you are interested in attending any of the events, contact Andrea Grenadier at 202-296-7743, ext. 20 before Tuesday, October 15. After that date, please contact her on her cell phone at 703-624-4557 or at the hotel, at 404-659-2000. Information on CEP and Forum activities is available at www.character.org.