News and Events

For years parents and teachers have discussed whether or not to teach values in schools.  In 1999 two boys opened fire at Columbine High School killing 15 students, including themselves. In 2007, thirty two students will killed at Virginia Tech and in 2012 in Newtown CT, 26 innocent children and teachers were killed.  In 2015 alone, there have been approximately 45 shootings at schools. But most recently, the shootings have happened in our own community of Harrisburg, SD.

In the wake of these tragedies, the worst incidence of school violence in our nation’s history, it is more important today than ever to provide youth with positive character development lessons, activities and resources to help the mature healthy, physically and emotionally. The goal of youth education is to prepare youth to become tomorrow’s productive citizens and leaders for their families, schools and communities. Having good character includes being committed to making positive contributions to one’s community.

Although the academic curriculum may seem removed from the goals of character education and prevention, it is, in fact a very important part of creating a school environment where students feel they belong and of promoting their positive development.

An important point is to emphasize primary prevention-to establish a program that puts children on a positive development path early in life, before they become deeply involved in problematic behaviors and are enmeshed in systems of negative influences.

Schools today face enormous challenges in educating all of the young people in their charge. In addition to providing students the basic academic knowledge and skills, we now are asking them to promote their character development.

There is a solution:

Character on Track can help teachers to infuse character education into the school through classroom visits, high school mentors, assemblies and resources that we provide at absolutely no cost to the school.

Learn more about our program here