City of Downey

City of Downey
11111 Brookshire Avenue
(562) 904-7284

The City of Downey supports CHARACTER COUNTS! Excerpt taken from www.charactercounts.org

CHARACTER COUNTS!

CHARACTER COUNTS! improves the lives of the adults who teach it and the communities that embrace it. CHARACTER COUNTS! gives kids a framework for ethical living. Simply put, we help kids make better choices to make everyone’s life better.

CHARACTER COUNTS! is two things: an educational framework for teaching universal values and a national coalition of organizations that support each other. The result is a culture change in your school or youth-service program.

CHARACTER COUNTS! is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian. It transcends cultural differences. It isn’t a curriculum, an add-on, an outof- the-box program, or a quick-fix fad. It’s character education that works with your needs and preexisting programs. Just have a look inside and see how easy it is to understand and begin.

The Six Pillars of Character

These six core ethical values form the foundation of all Josephson Institute programs and materials. A chapter of the Institute's Making Ethical Decisions booklet provides a more detailed discussion of the Six Pillars.

Trustworthiness Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends and country

Respect Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements

Responsibility Do what you are supposed to do • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act — consider the consequences • Be accountable for your choices

Fairness Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly

Caring Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need

Citizenship Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment

For more info visit www.charactercounts.org