Support Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Quality
of Life in Rural America
Arizona 4-H Character Counts: Educating Cochise County Youth
Impact Nugget
Nearly 200 youth at Ft. Huachuca army installation receive Character
Counts education at Ft. Huachuca Accommodation School. Arizona now leads
the nation in collaboration between 4-H faculty and military installations
as evidenced by the invitation to be the state-side sponsor of Air Force
Bases in Korea and Japan.
Issue
4-H Agents have identified character issues as critical in many 4-H
activities. Also, schools report that disruptions in the classroom due
to behavior problems reduce the number of effective teaching hours in
a school day. The need was identified to improve behaviors in some youth
and train agents, teachers and community leaders using Character Education
materials and resources.
What has been done?
Character Counts Curriculum is now in all five of the elementary schools
and in both of the middle schools in the Sierra Vista Public School
District in southeastern Arizona. Cooperative Extension personnel in
Cochise County provided Character Counts training to care providers
who serve all five of the before-and-after-school sites at the elementary
schools. Character Counts training was also provided to the Boys and
Girls Clubs of America in Sierra Vista and Bisbee. Sierra Vista continues
as a "Community of Character" and has extended and endorsed
Character Counts throughout the community. At Apache Middle School,
the six pillars painted upon the pillars of their locker ramada as a
daily reminder that these six pillars are the pillars of the school.
School children are learning to become leaders instead of displaying
negative behavior. Smith Middle School has adopted the Character Counts
program. Douglas educators have attended training and Sam Gordon Elementary
school has also adopted the program. Bisbee's homeless shelter for women
and their children use the curriculum and have started a 4-H club at
their site. One trainer at the Sierra Vista Boys & Girls Club of
America stated, "We couldn't imagine NOT having the six pillars
of character be the foundation of our program. It is fun, easy, and
just makes sense."
Impact
Nearly 200 youth at Ft. Huachuca receive Character Counts education
at Ft. Huachuca Accommodation School. There is full implementation of
Character Counts at the Child Development Center. Arizona now leads
the nation in collaboration between 4-H faculty and military installations
as evidenced by the invitation to be the state-side sponsor of Air Force
Bases in Korea and Japan. During the ribbon cutting ceremony for the
new School Age Services building, Congressman Jim Kolbe commented, "It
is great to see 4-H all over this building. I never realized the Army
was involved in 4-H."
Funding
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Contact
Darcy Tessman
Assistant agent, 4-H Youth Development
Cochise County Cooperative Extension
The University of Arizona
450 S. Haskell Avenue
Willcox AZ 85643-2790
(520) 384-3594 office
(520) 384- 3681 FAX
Email: dtessman@cals.arizona.edu
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