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Healthy DuPage - Character Development Coalition

Healthy DuPage - Character Development Coalition. GETTING CHARACTER EDUCATION OUT OF THE SCHOOLS…AND INTO THE COMMUNITY By Building Community-wide Character Coalitions. Background Information Character Development Coalition Community Activity Examples Measurement & Evaluation

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Healthy DuPage - Character Development Coalition

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  1. Healthy DuPage - Character Development Coalition GETTING CHARACTER EDUCATION OUT OF THE SCHOOLS…AND INTO THE COMMUNITYBy Building Community-wide Character Coalitions. 1/02

  2. Background Information Character Development Coalition Community Activity Examples Measurement & Evaluation Coalition Building Principles Community Organizing Questions & Answers BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONS PRESENTATION OUTLINE:

  3. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSBackground Information • Suburban “collar” county - 20 miles west of Chicago and Cook County, IL • Population: 904,161 (2000) - 80% white with 125% increase in Hispanic population since ‘90 • 332 square miles • 39 municipalities (20 wholly within the county) • 35,000 acres of parks & forest preserves • Argonne & Fermi Nat’l Labs = 8,500 acres & 7,000 employees DuPage County

  4. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSBackground Information • 46 golf courses • 1 polo facility • 7 hospitals (systems) • 43 public schools districts • 155,296 students • 11,261 teachers • 241 school buildings • 14 colleges including a community college (COD) with enrollment of 36,073 • 32 public libraries • Median income: $62,825 DuPage County

  5. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSBackground Information • Established in 1999 as part of the international Healthier Communities movement • Grassroots, regional planning and implementation organization to address broad health issues (socioeconomic, mental, environmental, etc.) • Board of Directors and 500+ Stakeholders from health, government, social service, businesses, spiritual, etc. MISSION:To measurably improve the health and well-being of DuPage County residents.

  6. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSBackground Information CHARACTER AND VALUES ACTION TEAM • Formed on April 23, 1999 as one of seven focus areas • Voluntary effort - met regularly to identify and coordinate what was happening in the County in the area of character development • Discovered that CHARACTER COUNTS!was already being used in several communities in the County • Recommended the formation of a countywide Character Development Coalition to coordinate and expand efforts. CHARACTER COUNTS!is a service mark of theCHARACTER COUNTS!Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics.

  7. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition • Formed in November 29, 2000 • Meets monthly over lunch • Representatives from involved and interested communities • Average = 34 people from 16 communities • National memberships in CEPand CHARACTER COUNTS! (14 communities have adopted CC!with over 500 trained)

  8. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition VISION:To be a county where core ethical values are consistently taught, promoted, supported, and modeled by individuals and community organizations.

  9. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition MISSION: • To establish and maintain an alliance of representatives from each community • To foster a common language so that shared values may be recognized, discussed, and supported across community boundaries • To provide a forum for the sharing of ideas • To serve as a resource for program development, measurement and evaluation.

  10. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition GOALS: • To coordinate community-based character development initiatives in all of DuPage County • To foster the establishment of character development coalitions in every community • To establish a resource center of sample materials • To coordinate the character development efforts throughout the County by working with countywide organizations • To develop a process and tools that can be used for measurement and evaluation of impact in individual communities and on a countywide basis.

  11. 1.Networking and idea sharing Planning & coordination BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition FOCUS AREAS:

  12. 2.Awareness and communications BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition FOCUS AREAS: Character Development Week Brochure and website Countywide organizations

  13. 3.Resource Center (at the College of DuPage) BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition FOCUS AREAS: 4.Measurement and evaluation

  14. Executive Committee “Attendance Model”  Coalition of Coalitions Meetings (lunch-time): General sharing Special presentation Small group action teams: Awareness Programming Continuity Evaluation Coordinator (research) Director ServiceMASTER BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCharacter Development Coalition ORGANIZATION: ‘Part-time’ Leadership:

  15. Regular meetings Training sessions Community festivals Character Education Week Proclamations Awards Publicity and visible reminders Measurement BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Coalitions • Schools • City Government • Police & Fire departments • Library • Parks & recreation department • Faith organizations • Youth organizations • Businesses • Media ACTIVITIES: PARTICIPATION:

  16. Character building activities in the schools are unseen... BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  17. Entrance wall of a Middle School in Wheaton BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  18. “Pillars” of the Bloomingdale gazebo BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  19. Banners on lampposts in Wood Dale BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  20. Student mural on civic Sports Hub wall - Glendale Hts. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  21. Annual vehicle stickers in Glendale Heights BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  22. “Pillars” on Police cars . . . BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  23. and “Pillars” on all village vehicles in Lombard BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  24. “Pillars” on walls of Village Council Chambers BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  25. Winning float in West Chicago Railroad Days Parade BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  26. West Chicago Youth Commission booth at festival BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  27. On-going Press Coverage (“good news”) BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  28. Aurora City limits sign BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Visible Reminders

  29. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSMeasurement and Evaluation Goal: To identify key indicators in each community and across the county that show that Character Development efforts are having an impact in the community. Process: • Determine scope of project and needed resources • Identify funding sources, request and receive funding • Identify and engage measurement expert • Establish measurement and evaluation process, tools and activities • Conduct study, analyze and communicate results.

  30. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSMeasurement and Evaluation Progress to date: • Reviewed other studies and developed a strategy • Received $152,000 for 3-year study • Engaged Dr. Matt Davidson to consult (CEP, ND, 4th&5th R’s) • Identified 4 ‘pilot’ communities • Conducted ‘focus groups’ to determine constructs Current Plans in Progress: • Develop school/community survey for Spring ‘02 • Collect archival data • Conduct survey, analyze data and communicate results • Action research: adjustable, long-term impact

  31. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCoalition Building Definition: • A Coalition is a diverse group of organizations and individuals who agree to work together to achieve a common goal. Principles: • Shared Vision • Shared Mission • Shared Responsibility • Multi-sector buy-in

  32. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCoalition Building • Define issue • Enroll ‘champions’ who are ambassadors • Map assets • Large enrollment • Create shared vision Process Steps: Elements of Success: • Efficient and effective meetings • Each member important • Opportunity to participate • Communication • Leadership • Quick wins

  33. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Organizing Initial Process Steps: • Determine the extent of current character education programs (schools? - anywhere else?) in your community (and neighboring communities). State mandate? School Improvement Plan? • Identify key organizations and individuals who might/should be interested - are there existing coalitions? • Identify a leadership group and obtain commitments • Discuss individually and then call a meeting to present importance, concepts, and possible organizational steps • Adopt a framework/core set of values • Conduct informational or training sessions.

  34. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Organizing • Teach • Enforce • Advocate • Model • Commitment • Consensus • Collaboration • Collect Data • Communication Year 1: Character T. E. A. M. Approach Year 2: Education • Explore • Engage • Excite • Expand • Evaluate From CHARACTER COUNTS!and Dr. Gary M. Smit, Superintendent of District 44, Lombard, IL

  35. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSCommunity Organizing Some Lessons Learned: • Convince key “thought leaders” on the need first • Develop database of people and organizations to reach • Form a diverse working Leadership Committee • Identify financial sources • Get a few people trained immediately • Anticipate and prepare to address any and all objections - including personal assessment and ‘whose values?’ • Include parents and media in all community meetings Community = Common, Communications, Connections

  36. BUILDING COMMUNITY-WIDE CHARACTER COALITIONSQuestions and Answers What questions do you have? (Remembering that we don’t have all the answers.) Call us at (630) 690-2998 Ken Fisher, Character Development Coalition Director Kfisher@aramarksvm.com

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