Values First is a character program that begins with values, twenty-five of the cherished values of the American people. Character is commitment to values; it is the degree to which one is committed to his/her values.

Values+ Commitment=Character

Kids who commit to good values demonstrate good character, the stronger the commitment, the stronger the character, the stronger the character, the stronger the person, the stronger the person, the stronger the country.

This Values Based character program focuses on 25 values that are most cherished by the American people and are most embraced by the people who have made the greatest contributions to our way of life, and for whom we have the greatest degree of admiration.

1. Life and human dignity.

2. Religion and religious freedom

3. Country and citizenship

4. Personal freedoms

5. Respect for the rights of others

6. Respect for others' property

7. justice and fair play

8. Motherhood

9. Family

10. Respect for the elderly

11. Taking personal responsibility

12. Diligent and honest work

13. Knowledge

14. Contributing to society

15. Worthy accomplishments

16. Obeying The Rules

17. Respect for Authority

18. Taking care of our environment

19. Gratitude

20. Loyalty

21. Humility

22 Compassion (kindness)

23 Worthy accomplishments

24 Honesty and integrity in speech and deed

25. virtue

 

The program has five main components or objectives:

1. to make students aware of the core values of the American people.

2. To get kids to see the importance of those values and to incorporate them into their lives.

3.To have students understand character and its relationship to values.

4. To get kids to choose to build their character around these twenty-five values-and other productive and positive values.

5. To get students to practice behaviors that will strengthen these values.

Character is instilled through teaching and practice.

Socrates put it this way, “The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be: all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them.”

During my tenure as a professor I witnessed the decline of young people's commitment to the core values vital to our country's success. From the time I started teaching in 1968 until the time I left the classroom in 2001, I saw a gradual eroding of the core values of the American people. I also saw dozens of character programs-but they all missed the mark. Many Public School teachers could not teach values because they did not know how to do so without using religion. Since they were not allowed to use religion many of the programs in schools today start with character, with the hope that students already have the appropriate values, or will arrive at them on their own. This program does not trust that assumption. In fact, it is very clear that many of the students today, on their own, are not likely to ever embrace the values that have been so important to the American people. Consequently, this program starts with values, not just any values, but the proven, time tested values of our heritage.

This program is unique among character programs for it focuses first on values, it defines character and clarifies the relationship between character and values, and lays out a procedure for instilling values and strengthening character without using religion. The program is universal and can be used by any group-religious or non-religious to develop the character of young people around these twenty-five values, or even other values that are important to them and worthy of embracing.

MATERIALS AND IMPLEMENTATION

This program comes with two texts, one for teachers and one for students, and a poster listing the twenty-five values.

The Teacher’s Manual is to help adult leaders help students benefit most from the program and to help them gain a deeper understanding of the values presented in the student book, The Good Book: Character is the thing. The introduction and conclusions in the two books are different. But the material in the middle is basically the same. The student book has a three tier format: the presentation of the value, a character component of that value, and rules to live by for those who possess the value being discussed. The presentation of the value is simply the presenting of the value as one of the important or cherished values of the American people. There is an explanation of how the value came to be one of our values, why it is important to Americans, and what it means to embrace that value. This section also gives examples of people whose lives embodied that value. Following the explanation of each value is a character component. In the character component students are told how a person who holds that value and has good character would behave in relationship to the value. It is explained how one would put his/her life in line with the value. In today’s jargon, it would be how one would “walk the talk,” or, as Socrates states it, “be in reality what he claims to be.” The character component is followed by a set of rules called, “Rules to live by.” In the rules to live by section there are several simple rules, or “do’s and don’ts” for people who have the value discussed in that section.

The student book is neither preachy nor moralistic. It even avoids the discussion of religion. Even though religion is listed as one of our cherished values, the book does not associate any of the values with any particular religion and does not promote any religion. One of the main purposes of this character program is to help schools and youth organizations teach values and develop character without getting drawn into religious controversy, and without intentionally, or unintentionally promoting any particular religion, or religion in general.

The program includes a character test that students are to take at the end of the program. Some might choose to administer the test as a pretest and then again as a post test to see how effective the program is in getting students to embrace the values.

The Values First Character Program is available to schools and other organization that work with young people. In addition to the material, trainers are available to work with groups to help them get the greatest benefit from the program.