Character Ed to Continue Using Same Words
Source: Springfield Spirit, July 2007

The Character Ed program is approaching its third anniversary this September and is still going strong.  In January 2007, the Chamber began collaborating with the Ozarks Regional YMCA.  In March, the committee conducted an online survey and received 124 responses.  One comment from the survey stated, “Character Education is a great program and it will continue to have a positive impact on our workplace and the community.”  Another respondent said, “The program has been a great motivational tool for our employees. They stop and think about what they are saying to others and how they are conducting themselves on the job.”  In March the committee also hosted a focus group made up of seven partner businesses.  Through feedback from the survey and a focus group, the committee decided to continue using the same 12 words, in the same monthly order, for the third year.  Rhonda Mammen with Springfield Public Schools said that it’s integral to use the same words again because teachers have built their curriculum around those words and it’s good for the kids to keep hearing these same words repeatedly.

Kristen Westerman
Manager of Workforce & Business Development
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce