Ozarks Regional YMCA

The YMCA has gone beyond displaying the Character Ed posters in all their facilities, by incorporating character education into all of its youth programs, including sports, after-school programs, and resident camp.  For their sports programs, they have established a Character Coach that holds team circle discussions following each practice that focus on a character word and its importance. 

For their 40 Prime Time Sites, which offer before and after-school care programs located within schools, the YMCA has developed character exercises, lesson plans and incentives:

Character Tree - Students receive a colored leaf when they demonstrate the corresponding character value.  Once the whole site earns a certain number of the leaves, they receive a special prize or get to participate in a special activity.  Sometimes, there are even individual prizes when a student demonstrates all of the character values and has earned the whole range of leaf colors!

Character Bingo – Using bingo sheets, a different character value is assigned to each space.  This can then be used as a game, or a behavior incentive chart in which kids are recognized for demonstrating the character values.

Character Hands – Any time a student demonstrates a character value, they receive a “hand” to display on the wall so that parents are aware of their behavior and choices during the day at Prime Time.

Character Monsters – Students work together to construct two different craft monsters, one good and one bad.  Each student makes a different monster part – heads, arms, body, etc – which are then laminated by the teachers and displayed.  Using a marker, teachers talk to the students about what good and bad things the monster would do with each of their assembled parts.

At the YMCA’s resident camp, Camp Wakonda, the staff has incorporated Character Ed into their program, as well as developed a special Character Camp Session.  During this session, seventh and eighth grade students spend one week learning about Character Ed using rope courses, nature hikes, and rock climbing.  Students not only learn about character values, but develop leadership qualities and are encouraged to become a youth volunteer at camp.