Transcript UPF Character Education Initiative and Internship Program

The Character Education Initiative
A Project of the
Universal Peace Federation
Introduction to the UPF Character
Education Initiative
What Is Character Education?
Character Education = Conscious Effort
to Instill Virtues
“Character education is the deliberate effort to help
people understand, care about, and act upon
core ethical values.”
Dr. Thomas Lickona, author, Educating for
Character
Educating the “Head, Heart, Hand”
Drs. Kevin Ryan and Thomas Lickona
• To know the good
• To care about the
good
• To do the good
Why Do We Need Character
Education?
Explosion of Moral Problems in
Society
Divorce
Premarital Sex
Alienation from Traditional
Values
Leads to Alienation of Youth
from Society
Youth Don’t Know Who They Are or
Where They Are Going
Rising Youth Suicide Rates
Rising Teenage Pregnancy
Rates
Rising Youth Violence and
Crime
Drug Abuse
Alcohol Abuse
Unwholesome Media and
Entertainment Influences
Character Education Has Always Been
Part of Education
• Since Plato, educators
have accepted moral
instruction of the young
as part of their
educational mission
• Many universities,
including Harvard,were
founded to train clergy
Character Education Declined in the
Twentieth Century, in Part Due to Science
• Logical positivism—
everything should be
empirically provable
• Theory of relativity
applied to the moral
realm
• Personalism—morals are
everyone’s to choose
Moral Relativism: Whose Values to Teach?
“Virtues” Not “Values”
• Values are subjective • Virtues are universal
• What people value • Virtues are admired
may vary from culture everywhere
to culture
• Values change
• Virtues do not change
Yet Virtues May be Used for Good or
Bad Purposes
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A strong-willed dictator
A diligent terrorist
A conscientious computer hacker
A generous thief
Therefore, UPF Teaches Virtues within the
Framework of Three Basic Life Goals
Three Basic Life Goals
Mature
Character
Positive
Loving
Contribution Relationships
The Three Life Goals = A Purposeful
Life
• To attain mature character
• To develop loving relationships with family and
others
• To make a positive contribution to society
Character Develops through Four
Spheres of Love in the Family
• A child’s love for
parents
• A sibling’s love for
brothers and sisters
• A spouse’s love for
husband or wife
• A parent’s love for a
child
Altruism = the Virtue of Virtues
To live and work for the benefit of others
Altruism encompasses all the
other virtues
The Family is the First School of
Love and Relationships
The Oliners’ study of rescuers during
the Holocaust showed that altruistic
people come from loving families
The UPF Character Education
Initiative Emphasizes
• Virtues and ethical principles common to all
cultures
• The family is the first school of love
• Three Basic Life Goals
• Altruism is the organizing core virtue
• Home, school, community
UPF’s Discovering the Real Me Character
Education Curriculum
• Utilizes the power of
story
• Age-appropriate
books, covering ages
5-18
• For use in homes,
schools,
community venues
Discovering the Real Me, Books 1-4
• Elementary level:
Aesop’s fables and
classic fairy tales
Discovering the Real Me, Books 5-8
• Adolescent level:
Stories of realistic
situations, and moral
dilemmas
Discovering the Real Me, Books 9-12
• High school level:
Character-based
sexuality education,
relationship,
communication, and
leadership skills
Character Education—Important and
Necessary Part of Education
Tomorrow’s Test:
How did I show
altruism this past
week?
Food Drive = A+
Advanced Technology Means We Must
Use Our Powers for Good, Not Ill
“The greater our material power, the
greater our need for spiritual insight
and virtue.”
Arnold Toynbee, British historian,
Civilization on Trial
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President
of the U.S., Knew the Value of
Character Education
“To educate a man in mind and not
morals is to educate a menace to
society.”