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To enhance the well-being of the Western Springs community, the CC! Initiative will coordinate efforts to develop and strengthen Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship in all aspects of daily life Mission Statement of the Western Springs CC! Initiative
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Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. These are the six pillars of character that are the foundation of the Character Counts! (CC!) nationwide program that promotes ethics and values on a community-wide basis. All parents want their children to develop strong ethics and values, but it does not happen by accident. Parents, teachers, coaches and other role models have to provide a good example and do all they can to see that young people follow in their footsteps. The CC! program is designed to supplement and enhance, not substitute for family efforts to instill positive, ethical values and good character. CC! is not a means to introduce religion into public education, though it is consistent with and in no way hostile to religious and spiritually based beliefs about right and wrong. It is not an add-on program for schools that will divert attention from basic academic goals. Nor is it a silver bullet solution to the issue of the day. It is a carefully designed long-term community based strategy to permanently embed character development goals within schools and youth organizations. It is not a feel good or do well program stressing personal happiness and success. It stresses the need to discern right from wrong and the acceptance of a moral obligation to honor the six pillars of character.
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| Western Springs School District 101 was the first to implement the CC! program and then joined with the Village of Western Springs and 80 representatives from more than 30 organizations in March of 2004 to form the Western Springs CC! Initiative. Since the inception of the Initiative, training has been given to 25 representatives of the group, the vision and mission statements were created along with the official logo of the Initiative. The logo is now displayed on banners around the Village of Western Springs to help serve as a daily reminder that CHARACTER COUNTS! in Western Springs.
For more information on the program, persons should contact Elaine Haeske at (708) 246-1800, Ext. 122, or e-mail ehaeske@wsprings.com.
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