April 1, 2009

Eight Central Valley schools were honored today by California State University, Fresno’s Bonner Center for Character Education with the 22ndAnnual Virtues and Character Recognition Awards, given to schools for exemplary attention to character education at the Fresno Convention Center.

The awards were presented at Kremen School of Education’s 25th Annual Conference on Character and Civic Education from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the new Exhibit Hall (M and Inyo).

An internationally prominent speaker and workshops on professional ethics and professional decision-making also are featured at the all-day conference.

The 2009 winning schools (and their districts) during the first general session are:

• Los Tules Middle School – Tulare City Elementary School District

• Ahwahnee Middle School – Fresno Unified School District

• Scandinavian Middle School – Fresno Unified School District

• Mulcahy Middle School – Tulare City Elementary School District

• Live Oak Middle School – Tulare City Elementary School District

• Sequoia Middle School – Fresno Unified School District

• Baird Middle School – Fresno Unified School District

• Rio Vista Middle School – Central Unified School District

The Fresno State Character and Civic Education Conference -- the longest running character education conference in the U.S. -- provides Fresno State and Fresno Pacific student teachers with a number of important concepts and considerations related to the ethical implications of what teachers do as professional educators, said Dr. Jacques S. Benninga, conference co-director along with Jane Moosoolian.

“The Character and Civic Education Conference provides hundreds of prospective teachers with information on local civic agencies devoted to assisting children and families with life issues,” Benninga said. “It presents them with ethical issues facing today’s teachers with professionally appropriate ways of dealing with those issues and with strategies to enhance character strengths in their students.”

Keynote speaker for the event is Dr. William Damon, professor of Education at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence. He spoke at the First General Session this morning.

For further information contact: Benninga at 559.278.0253 or jackb@csufresno.edu or Moosoolian at 270.0115 or janem@csufresno.edu.